The Dead South

The Dead South have never been about constant reinvention, but about full commitment to their own singular way. With confidence in their sound and style and trust in each other, The Dead South arrive at the cusp of explosive global success in an enviable, and well-earned, position: total autonomy. It doesn’t really matter what you call their music - progressive bluegrass, alternative Americana, country, folk and western, what matters is that this is theirs, and people from all different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, languages and ages love it.

True blue right through, The Dead South don’t shy away from ruffling traditionalists’ feathers from time to time, as they flawlessly execute banjo rolls and lightning-fast mandolin tremolos, 3-part harmonies and songs of classic themes -murder ballads, disloyalty, ghosts and the like, all with a wink and a smile. As they continue their climb to the top, The Dead South have learned an important lesson: If you’re going to be outsiders, you’d better be great.

Confirmed by the passion of their Dead South cosplaying fans, who go to concerts in the band’s signature look, this four-piece acoustic set from the middle of the Canadian prairies have found their people. Good Company, as they call themselves, is a global community of vastly dissimilar folks who might not see eye to eye, but who stand shoulder to shoulder at the gigs.

The Builders and the Butchers were formed in the fall of 2005 in Portland, Oregon.  The band’s first two years consisted of busking, playing house shows, and showing up unannounced anywhere around Portland where people were gathered.  Folks began to take notice and the band transitioned slowly, going from playing on the floor of venues unplugged to gradually adding a mic here, an amp there, until they organically grew into one of the most exciting live acts in the Pacific Northwest.  Even when plugged in, a cornerstone of almost every builders show is playing on the floor at some point during the set.

Touring relentlessly from 2007-2012 The Builders gathered a cult dedicated fan base across the US and Europe.  Playing dozens of music festivals like Sasquatch and Lollapalooza, as well as supporting artists like Portugal. The Man, Amanda Palmer, Murder By Death, and Heartless Bastards.  

"For more than a decade, the members of The Builders And The Butchers have specialized in a kind of white-knuckle Americana: Their acoustic folk-rock sound is shot through with nervy, hellfire-and-brimstone intensity. The Portland-born band's hometown brethren in The Decemberists provide a useful reference point — singer Ryan Sollee has a wide-open bellow and a gift for vivid imagery.” - Stephen Thompson, NPR All Songs Considered