Mustered Courage

Even though bluegrass is an American musical form, a love of mountain music has spread throughout the world. Mustered Courage was formed in Melbourne, Australia, a country with many of the same ethnic roots that spread through Appalachia and the Ozarks. The band – Nick Keeling, Julian Abrahams, Paddy Montgomery and Josh Bridges – infuses their newgrass sound with a contemporary, indie vibe.

Formed in 2010, Mustered Courage bridges the gap between traditional bluegrass and modern roots music. The Melbourne-based quartet has risen to the top of Australia’s folk and roots scene on the strength of their energetic live shows and an eponymous debut album that won them a string of glowing reviews, loads of national radio support, an endorsement from Seal, and a trophy at the 2012 MusicOz Awards at the Sydney Opera House for Country Act of the Year. These down-home pickers have played many of the major Australian festivals, performed an official showcase at the 2013 Americana Music Association Conference and Festival in Nashville, and were invited back to the U.S. to perform at the 2014 International Folk Alliance Conference. ‘Powerlines’ has also garnered the band two “Golden Guitar” nominations at the 2014 CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia for Alternative Country Album of the Year and Instrumental of the Year for the track “Allegheny.”

In autumn 2014, Mustered Courage flew half way around the world to tour the US. They stopped by Folk Alley’s studio at WKSU in Kent, Ohio to record a few songs and video performances.