At its heart, bluegrass music is about what happens when you commit to the moment. The joy of improvisation keeps
the music fresh, and the fun of crafting ideas on the fly keeps the musicians on their toes. This true spirit of bluegrass
infuses the self-titled record from Mighty Poplar, a new all-star roots project featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse,
Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex
Hargreaves (Billy Strings) coming March 31, 2023 on Free Dirt Records. Regarded as some of the finest players of
their generation, the playing is never showy and always in service of the song. Though Pikelny, Eldridge, Garrison all
knew each other from their early work with Punch Brothers, impromptu backstage jams with Marlin at festivals across
the country were the key that unlocked the project. A lifelong song collector, Marlin selected and sang lead on most of
the songs here, bringing classics as well as deep cuts from greats like Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, John Hartford,
Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Norman Blake. Throughout, the songs and tunes are as immediate and emotionally
impactful as the playing is tasteful. Gathered knee-to-knee in a rural studio outside Nashville, the collaborative 10-
track album emerged organically over a few days. “It felt so special and effortless; it didn’t take work,” says Eldridge,
“other than the work and effort we’ve put in the rest of our lives.” With their debut album, Mighty Poplar has captured
the fierce and playful energy of an all-night jam between old friends who just happen to be grandmasters of the
music.
Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms
Sometimes we get so unnecessarily swept up in who’s rising and falling in music these days that the sheer joy of music is overlooked. Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms are a world apart from all of that nonsense and let you immerse yourself in the melody and story of classic sounding original country music until all other cares of life fade away, writing music that lives at the true crossroads of Americana. Theirs is a music where influences of country, bluegrass, old time, cajun and blues intersect to create one of the most traditional yet diverse sounds in the modern Americana landscape.Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms are known to roots music fans across the globe for their soulful harmonies, driving dance music, classic original songs, and commitment to the raw truth of rural American music. Charismatic performers, Reeb and Caleb work intuitively, bringing the spirit of legendary country duos into their modern takes on country music with an eye towards good times and an ear towards the deepest songs and tunes. The blend of true harmonies, the sharply-written country songs, and the un-showy authenticity strike a rich vein that makes them seem like they are born and raised in Music City. For years, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms have been at the heart of Portland’s music scene. The Foghorn Stringband, of which Caleb is a founding member and now Reeb is also a member, led the burgeoning square dance and Appalachian string band revival. And for some time now they’ve been leading Portland’s underground country scene, quietly pursuing a country music vision without much care for what’s expected or in vogue at the time. There’s a lot to admire in this singular perseverance and honesty.Caleb and Reeb both hail from Washington State: Caleb from the coastal San Juan Islands, and Reeb from the high desert plateau of Douglas County. The two have come together in music and are hailed as some of the most compelling musicians making original country roots music in America today. When these two sing together, their honest incantations leave us spell-bound and smiling. Pillars of the Northwest music scene, they carry the torch of their music around the world, and can be found touring as a duo, as well as with the Foghorn Stringband, and the Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band.
