Jon Stickley is a Durham native, (you may know his brother Jeff as the drummer for Hammer No More The Fingers) but in recent years he’s called Asheville home. Stickley was one of the founders of Big Fat Gap, a North Carolina bluegrass institution, and has since gone on to perform alongside roots music icons like Larry Keel, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams and more. After all of his band-based endeavors, Stickley settled into the solo digs and found himself two stunningly talented musicians. Lyndsay Pruett is on fiddle, bringing her classically trained skills to the forefront by adding in hints of Latin and Jazz influence while drummer Patrick Armitage pulls in subtle hip-hop influence to make for a well-rounded and unique take on this typified genre. Pruett and Armitage have worked with Futureman and hip-hop group Atmosphere respectively, so their back catalog provides a wonderful glimpse into the work they produce.
The trio came in for some live performances and interviews on Carolina Grown this past Friday before their set at the NC Roots Showcase at Tir Na Nog. The band discussed their origins, influences and forthcoming album throughout the segment, but most importantly they laid down some seriously stunning tunes.
