The Fountaineers
Tethered by an interest in American roots and bluegrass music rarely found in Scotland, The Fountaineers formed as a quartet during the summer of socially-distanced interactions.
Having found space of their own in Glasgow, a home renowned for its fierce traditional music scene, Callum MT (mandolin), Jeri Foreman (fiddle), Michael Wright (guitar/vocals) and Rob Hart (banjo) are creating music that adheres to traditions, fosters creativity and blends the progressive intent found in shared musical heroes such as Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice and Allison Krauss and Union Station.
The Fountaineers debuted at many landmark UK Bluegrass festivals throughout 2022. Didmarton Bluegrass Festival, Arasaig Americana festival, Omagh Bluegrass festival (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively) and notably made their European debut at La Roche Bluegrass festival, France. On top of a busy tour schedule, the band released their debut EP, a 5-track love-letter to traditional Bluegrass classics, recorded and printed in Scotland.
Since their participation in the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Official Showcase 2021, the band have continued to maintain a connection to the wider global Bluegrass community. Earlier this year the band were covered in Bluegrass Today and further elevated their status as Scottish-based Bluegrass ambassadors.
This concert is presented in partnership with Live Music Now Scotland. Following on from our successful partnership in 2022, Just Festival are delighted to be welcoming back musicians from Live Music Now Scotland to our stage. Live Music Now Scotland gives outstanding young artists the opportunity of performing at the start of their careers and enables high-quality live music to reach people throughout our communities, especially those who wouldn’t normally have access to it.
Live Music Now Scotland puts on almost 600 concerts a year, with an ever-evolving pool of around 120 musicians, covering a diverse range of musical genres, delivering work in all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Initially a branch of Live Music Now Ltd, the organisation devolved in 2013 to have its own charitable status and Board of trustees, bringing governance closer to home as activity continued to grow.
Hundreds of musicians have come through Live Music Now Scotland, and can now be seen in orchestras, ensembles, choirs, opera companies, recording studios and educational institutions, pursuing successful careers in the music profession. Alongside this, Live Music Now Scotland’s expertise and understanding of how music is vital to emotional, physical and social wellbeing has grown over the years, and the organisation is well established and highly respected in this field.
