ARISE Music Festival

Ginny Mules released their self-titled first album in December of 2016. It is filled with hot pickin’ and original songs that come across as both fresh and ancient simultaneously. But, like all good bluegrass music, it is really all about the singing. “Holy friggin’ harmonies! It’s almost distracting how good the vocals are on the Ginny Mules debut release” (Marquee Magazine).

The band first began to coalesce when, Liz Forster (guitar and vocals) met Keenan Copple, the band’s banjo and slide guitar player at a local music store in 2013. The pair discovered they were neighbors and began playing music together almost immediately. Weekly jam nights with Keenan, Liz and Phil Hanceford (mandolin and vocals) materialized, and the trio began the search for a bass player. On a friend’s recommendation, they called on Carbondale native, Sheena Gruber. Forster says, “We caught a lucky break with Sheena. She plays terrific bass, sings and looks like Bonnie Raitt, and is a great fit for us vibe-wise.” Rebekah Durham (Juilliard grad and former member of San Fermin), joined the band in 2016 and the Ginny Mules were born!

Drawing from varied elements of American music and heritage, each member brings their own blend of Appalachian music, Blues, Folk & Bluegrass, to the table. The end result sounds a lot like BLUESGRASS, with a focus on tight vocal harmonies and that high lonesome sound. But it is the raw, bluesier elements that give Ginny Mules their distinctive sound. According to Copple, “it’s like bluegrass with a little extra stank on it.”