Mayhem String Band

The Mayhem String Band has its roots in Oxford, Mississippi where 4 veteran musicians of the music scene got together and formed a bluegrass band in 2005. Ben Johnson (Bass), Chris Steiner (Guitar), Jamison Hollister (Fiddle, Mandolin) and J.T. Lack (Banjo) took on a weekly gig that eventually became known as ?Wednesday Night Mayhem?, born out of the whiskey-soaked dance floor and general insanity that seemed to follow the band around.

After months of numerous shows in the hills of North Mississippi they settled on the name Mayhem String Band, also an acronym for ?May All Your Hangovers End Miraculously.? In February of 2006 Kevin Larkin, creator of the Spaghetti Western bluegrass band "Pineross," moved from Boulder, Colorado to
join the band on mandolin, accordion and harmonica.

Just 3 years and hundreds of shows later, the Mayhem String Band has taken
their bluegrass sound to a new level, incorporating Cajun two-steps, Irish jigs, and
a chunk of Mississippi blues. Each member of the band writes songs, injecting
familiar traditional sounds with the madness that defines the world today. The
result is a live show balancing songcraft, instrumental virtuosity, heart-wrenching
harmonies and a plain ole' good time. They deliver this concoction in an all-out
assault of music on whomever may be listening.

These 5 players have been taking their brand of Mississippi bluegrass all over the
country playing over 170 in the past year. Their second studio album, Land Pirates, was released in March, 2009. It was co-produced by Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers) and features Ferd Moyse (Hackensaw Boys) on fiddle