The Syncopaths

Founded in 2002 as a backup band for bluegrass fiddler Richard Greene, The Syncopaths stepped out on their own shortly thereafter to rave reviews from audiences who delighted in the band's improvisational and playful style. From dance floors to concert halls, they  bring a fresh, contemporary spin to tunes and songs rooted in Scottish, Irish, and American folk traditions. Evolving through contradance origins, they are creating a "chamber folk" sound, characterized by the compelling rhythmic interplay of fiddle and mandolin, rich vocals, along with rhythms of the piano and bodhrån.

Their recently released album "Be Like The Sea" covers a wide range of music from standards like The County Down by Tommy Sands to new music such as William Blake's Dead. The album can be purchased on Bandcamp, where you can sample the tunes.

At the heart of the band's sound are Ryan McKasson's dynamic Scottish-based fiddling, and the understated-but-monster picking of mandolinist Ashley Hoyer. Jeffrey Spero provides inventive and surprising piano accompaniment, anchored by the driving power of Christa Burch's inventive bodhrån. Christa also lends her singular voice as lead singer – warm, supple, expressive, and intimate – to the band's songs.

Oh, are you're still wondering what Contradance is? It's a form of folk dancing made up of long lines of couples. See contradance with the Syncopaths here and here.

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