This past Sunday, progressive bluegrass band The Hillbenders brought their distinct sound to the Nashville Sunday Night stage. Formed in 2008, The Hillbenders have firmly implanted themselves in the fascinating alternative acoustic scene. Head-spinning solos coexist with rapid bluegrass beats, bringing an intense mix of energy and complexity to last night’s set. All the while, the band equips every song with catchy and impactful vocal melodies that help to make the music more accessible.
As the show went on, the band dove into some of their more atmospheric material, revealing their most significant departure from traditional bluegrass yet. Borrowing from the progressive rock tradition of forming sprawling soundscapes, The Hillbenders fill many of their verses and bridges with repeating riffs and harmonic background noise to widen the music’s scope. In the end, the band produces an incredible sound that works beautifully both live and recorded. Listen to the full performance below, and come out to future shows in the Nashville Sunday Night series!
Nashville Sunday Night is a special presentation of Nashville’s Independent Radio, Lightning 100. Each Sunday night Lightning 100 broadcasts a concert from 3rd and Lindsley, one of Nashville’s finest live music venues. Nashville Sunday Night is brought to you by Jack Daniel’s and Little Harpeth Brewing.
