Goldmine Pickers

Goldmine Pickers have been brewing a fresh blend of acoustic music for audiences in the U.S. and Europe since 2003. Reviewers and concert-goers alike have reached for culinary terms to describe the music of the Midwest three-piece, including, "fresh", "tasty", "choice ingredients", "savory", and "a pleasing, hearty stew." Described as having a "timeless approach yet a style that is uniquely their own," the band effortlessly serves up a rich, fun blend of Americana, bluegrass, folk, old-time and Irish music--with dashes of country, and jam for good measure.

Nat Keefe of Hot Buttered Rum said, "From the first notes I heard, I was impressed with Goldmine Pickers. Solid vocals, good picking, tasty repertoire ... it all mixes to be a pleasing, hearty stew. In the shows we did with them, I witnessed them take a room of people who had never seen them and turn them into fans."

Goldmine Pickers have focused on crafting a unique sound that nods to Americana genres while crossing traditional borders to create a fresh new sound - one that draws audiences together. The band's set at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago (June 2008) featured all original music. All three members share lead vocal and songwriting duties, and they strive to feature their original material. The Pickers "capture the audience" with "really nice, tight three-part harmonies," described a reviewer at acousticguitar.com, who also wrote, "I was virtually stunned at the quality of play at the concert. [And] chemistry and stage presence weighed nearly as much as musicianship in reasons for enjoying the concert."

The band has been noted for an ability to shift from high-energy barn-burners with remarkably tight musicianship into skillfully rendered and laid-back ballads. "With a penchant for hooks, melodies and dynamic soloing, the band also shines on its slower numbers, highlighting emotional songwriting skills well beyond that of your average barnstormers," said Seven Days of Burlington Vermont.

The band released its self-titled debut CD in 2004. The album covers diverse ground: a hot-picking bluegrass instrumental, a song with politically/socially conscious lyrics, an Irish flavor, jam band inspired improv, and catchy songs with pop sensibilities. In 2006, a Goldmine Pickers original song titled "Conversation's Free," written by Lukas Simpson, was heard by television and radio audiences in 40 countries around the world as the soundtrack for a Nissan_SHIFT commercial to advertise the Note (a European make of the Nissan). Video can be viewed at www.myspace.com/goldminepickers.

"Lonesome Gone", the band's sophomore studio album, was released in 2007. Listeners will hear a step up in maturity and a further development of the band's signature sound. Much of the album was recorded with an old-school live approach with minimal overdubs and studio trickery. The instrumentals "Queen's Confessor" (Hoffman) and "Iroquois Waltz" (Simpson) were both recorded by the band playing live around only a stereo pair of microphones. The purity of the album makes it the next best thing to having the band in the room with you.

In 2009, the band continued to showcase its strengths as a live band by releasing its third album, a double live CD, "Goldmine Pickers Live". The album is a collection of songs recorded at three different venues; LVD's, The Ark, and The Indy Folk Series. It features fan favorites, traditional songs, and seven new originals.

In addition to performing in diverse settings from the U.S. Midwest to Ireland, the versatility of the band has delivered them to stages alongside artists such as Del McCoury Band, Hot Buttered Rum, The Waybacks, Old Crow Medicine Show, Pierce Pettis, Cornfed Girls, Greensky Bluegrass, Emory Lester Set, Wayne Hancock, Mickey Hart, Peter Rowan and many more.