The band began in 2003 and since then has worked to develop their own take on the American Sound, drawing influences from a variety of sources. "It's all in there somehow," declares Kurt Marschke, lead singer and songwriter, "but blues and country music just feel the most natural." Not unlike Exile-era Stones, Deadstring Brothers deliver a menacing sound that draws equally on the melancholy of country ballads and the abandon of rock and blues. Deadstring Brothers live performances have the energy of guitar rock, but with sophisticated arrangements, Hammond Organ and a focus on traditional American music.

The band has been touring steadily since the 2004 release of their eponymous debut and have shared the stage with acts ranging from Shooter Jennings, Cat Power and Jesse Sykes to Giant Sand, My Morning Jacket, Drive by Truckers and the Mekons.

To my mind their latest album 'Silver Mountain' was the best one they have done, which was endorsed by several critics who gave it 4 star reviews.

www.myspace.com/deadstringbrothers

Briana Hardyman’s soft-spoken and easy manner offer little hint of the electric transformation that comes over her in live performance. Her singing is alternately tender and defiant, with a compelling vulnerability tempered by the wisdom of hard-won experience and the sorrow of loss. Her songwriting is steeped in the classic country that formed the soundtrack to her childhood on a Wisconsin dairy farm, but molded by the sophisticated folk of Patty Griffin and the vibrant blues and soul of Bonnie Raitt.