“Born in a distillery in Durango, Colorado,” is the opening line of the band bio for the Stillhouse Junkies, providing a sense of what’s to come. Alissa Wolf (fiddle and vocals), Cody Tinnan (bass and vocals), and Fred Kosak (mandolin, guitar, and vocals) mix a heady brew of roots, blues, funk, swing, and bluegrass music into an original sound that has won the band numerous awards and attracted a growing number of fans.

My first introduction came through the Bluegrass Situation newsletter when they featured this video of the “rip-roaring old-timey instrumental, Jonny Mac.” All three members were smoking on their solos, leading me to sit up and take notice.

As winners of the 2021 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year award, this is clearly a young group of musicians on the rise. Now in 2022 they have a new album on the way and are currently touring up and down the east coast. Staying true to their roots, some of the band’s videos — such as for the tunes Whiskey Prison and (Mancos Kind of) Saturday Night — are filmed in Colorado bars and distilleries. Both songs provide a glimpse into the string-band style roots music the band has played together since their inception.

Heat of the Moment gives the Junkies a chance to shine with some music that’s a bit further away from the bluegrass-infused tunes in the first few videos. This is also a group which clearly enjoys a good laugh, from their music to the website invitation to sign up for some “Junkie Mail.”

As the name would suggest, Two-Steppin’ on My Heart (Again) gives the band a chance to scratch their swing itch. Music like this may have helped make Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel a fan.

Colorado Bound is the first single from the upcoming Stillhouse Junkies album Small Town. The octave mandolin played by Fred Kosak adds a lower timbre to their music.

This is a band that is having a good time sharing their music with their fans. They are currently playing in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia areas, as well as New York, Delaware, Georgia and beyond in July and August. Consider taking a drink of the music of the Stillhouse Junkies at a venue near you.

Enjoy!

More to come…

DJB

Image of Stillhouse Junkies (credit: StillhouseJunkies.com)