THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
- Originally based in Nashville. Now Charlottesville, Virginia.
- Formed in 2005 by guitarist Chris Eldridge (son of Seldom Scene banjo player Ben Eldridge).
- Original name of the group was The Stringdusters” but they found that another band in New York was using a similar name (The String Dusters). So they added “Infamous” to their name.
- Eldridge (AKA “Critter”) graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (Ohio).
- Original Members: Eldridge (guitar), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Andy Hall (dobro), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), and Travis Book (bass).
- 2006, Eldridge left to work with Chris Thile (Punch Brothers) and was replaced by guitarist Andy Falco.
- 2007, released Fork In The Road
album (Sugar Hill).
- 2007, won IBMA awards for Emerging Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (“Fork in the Road”) and Album of the Year (Fork In The Road).
- 2008, released The Infamous Stringdusters
album (Sugar Hill).
- 2011, Chris Pandolfi gave the keynote address at the IBMA World of Bluegrass conference; band announced that it was no longer going to brand itself as a bluegrass band in order to widen its audience.
- 2011, fiddler/mandolinist Jesse Cobb left the band. He was not replaced; they became a five-piece band.
- 2012, released Silver Sky album (High Country Records).
- 2014, released Let It Go
album (High Country Records).
- 2015, released “Undercover” album (High Country Records).
- 2016, released Ladies & Gentlemen album (Compass) featuring female vocalists Claire Lynch, Lee Ann Womack, Sara Watkin, Aoife O’Donovan, Celia Woodsmith, others.
- 2017, released Laws of Gravity album (Compass). They also released a live version of the album.
- 2018, won the Grammy Award (Best Bluegrass) for Laws of Gravity album.
- 2021, released Tribute to Bill Monroe album (Americana Vibes).
- 2022, released Toward the Fray album (Americana Vibes).
