John Cowan, hailed as the Voice of Newgrass, has been singing his heart out for more than forty years and his soaring vocals have only improved with time. A true innovator, Cowan applies his powerful pipes to genres from country, bluegrass, and gospel to soul, jazz, and rock – often within the space of a single concert. His ability to move fluidly through multiple styles, and carry mesmerized audiences on the journey with him, has set him apart as one of the most loved and admired vocal artists of his generation, not just by fans and critics but among fellow musicians as well.
With his distinctive, rock-tinged tenor vocal and heart-thumping electric bass, Cowan along with fellow New Grass Revival bandmates Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, and Curtis Burch, and later Bela Fleck and Pat Flynn, introduced a new generation of music fans to an explosive, experimental and ultimately, an eponymous brand of bluegrass. The “newgrass” sound spawned popular jam bands such as Leftover Salmon and Yonder Mountain String Band, opened the door for today’s young bluegrass superstars Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle and shaped the sensibilities of country megastars Garth Brooks, The Chicks, the Zac Brown Band, and Darius Rucker.
Luke Bulla has been singing and playing music most of his life. Touring with and singing in his family band from age four, Luke took up the fiddle at seven.
Over the course of the next few years, he won the National Fiddle Contest (in Weiser, Idaho) six times in his respective age categories. His seventh win came in the Grand Champion division at age sixteen, making him the youngest to have earned the title at the time. Entering Nashville’s Grand Master Fiddle Championship at age ten, Luke distinguished himself by being the youngest person to have made the top ten.
In addition to violin, Luke plays guitar and mandolin, and sings and writes songs.