Biography

Tumbling Bones is a quartet of young men inspired by old music. They play a mix of original compositions and traditional material drawing on bluegrass, pre-war folk, and a bit of the contemporary rock ‘n’ roll the guys were reared on. They make music with nothing but acoustic instruments, tap shoes, and most of all, their harmonizing voices. Though they most often appear between Maine and North Carolina, their most exciting venture to date was a November 2014 tour of Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, and Ukraine as U.S. State Department-backed cultural ambassadors with the ‘American Music Abroad’ cultural exchange program.

Founding members Pete Winne (guitar, foot percussion) and Jake Hoffman (banjo, upright bass) met ten years ago when they were randomly assigned each other as freshman year college roommates. They formed Tumbling Bones four years ago and joined forces with songwriter and guitarist Kyle Morgan in early 2013. These road warriors have sung on street corners and stages across Europe and the United States including an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. When they moved to Portland, Maine they found Tyler Lienhardt who leads old-time fiddle tunes and adds his country swing sound to the band. Their latest release, Loving A Fool (2014), is half original songs and half traditional numbers with a Tumbling Bones stamp. Though the album reflects the chronological and stylistic boundaries that the band spans in their concerts, it is clearly missing Pete’s dancing, which can only be experienced at their live performances.

“Tumbling Bones gives us everything – musicality, imagination, virtuosity, and that incalculable component that pushes their performances to new heights.”- Fred Knittel, WXPN radio, Philadelphia

“Bluegrass that doesn’t seek to mimic, but forges a path that’s full of rich harmonies, underpinned by an undeniably modern approach to arrangement”

- The Irish Times

“Listening to their music makes me want to jump up and dance and I can’t dance. Take one listen to Loving a Fool and you’ll feel like you’re front and center at the Grand Ole Opry. Yes, they’re that good.”

- Kathy Sands-Boehmer, No Depression