Yonder Mountain String Band, The

THE YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND

  • From Nederland, Colorado.
  • Called “The Original JamGrass Band.” They have been known to “jam” on one tune for more than 60 minutes.
  • They often invite celebrity performers to jam on stage with them–such as Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, even Earl Scruggs.
  • Formed in 1998, and has since performed at hundreds of prestigious venues, including Telluride, Rockygrass, MerleFest and the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco (the show was a sell-out).
  • They produce and distribute their own recordings, making them available to fans via live shows, internet downloads, etc.
  • Band members include Adam Aijala (guitar), Ben Kaufman (bass), Jeff Austin (mandolin) and Dave Johnston (banjo.)
  • Aijala previously played in punk and heavy metal rock bands.
  • Austin and Johnston met in college (University of Illinois) where Johnston played in a group called the “Bluegrassholes.”
  • 2014, Austin left and formed his own group, The Jeff Austin Band.
  • 2015, released Black Sheep album (Frog Pad).
  • 2019, founding member Jeff Austin died at the age of 45.
  • 2020, band now includes Allie Kral (fiddle) and Nick Piccininni (mandolin).
  • 2022, released Get Yourself Outside album (Frog Pad).