York is a growing city with an increasingly diverse population, a vibrant music and arts scene and a lot going on besides... it is also one of the only cities in the UK not to have its own community radio station. This SoundCloud account will host excerpts from our fundraisers, bands and artists we like and other interesting things...

Please visit & like the York Commmunity Radio page here on Facebook. "York Community Radio" is a working title until the station finds a suitably fabulous name. (Suggestions welcomed)

www.facebook.com/YorkCommunityRadio

- King Courgette are a five-piece self-styled "vegetable string band" described by Americana UK magazine as ‘one of the finest purveyors of that junk band, depression-era, old-time drinking music.’ They combine bluegrass, a hint of swing and a whole lot of hoedown into a righteously spiced ratatouille. 

- The band creates mostly new material based on old-time influences, powered by the rhythm of a pre-war suitcase:  percussionist Wild Zucchini Bill was a long-standing member of award-winning  international bin-bashing sensations Stomp!

- As well as playing gigs and festivals across the country, the band has featured on BBC6 Music and opened for acts including Abigail Washburn, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Oh My Darling and Blackbeard's Tea Party.  All About Jazz Magazine described them as ‘wildly diverse’, ‘rebellious’ and ‘huge fun’ while YorkMix said simply: ‘Wherever they play, there’s a party going on’. 

Band members: 
String Bean Slim (Vocals, Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Ukulele) 
Poppa "King" Courgette (Double Bass, Banjo) 
Wild Zucchini Bill (Washboard, Bones, Suitcase, Percussion, Triangle) 
Hot Chilli McGrath (Mandolin, Harmonica, Ukulele) 
Bad Apple Two T's Curtis (Bass, Guitar, Accordion)

“There’s this great duality to our band,” reflects Greensky Bluegrass mandolinist, vocalist, and songwriter Paul Hoffman. “We’re existing in a few different places at once: we’re a bluegrass band and a rock band, we’re song-driven and interested in extended improvisation.”

“We play acoustic instruments,” adds dobro player Anders Beck, “but we put on a rock’n’roll show. We play in bigger clubs and theaters, there’s a killer light show, and we’re as loud as your favorite rock band. It’s not easy to make five acoustic instruments sound like this – it’s something we’ve spent years working on.”

From these seemingly irreconcilable elements, the five members of Greensky Bluegrass have forged a defiant, powerful sound that, while rooted in classic stringband Americana, extends outwards with a fearless, exploratory zeal. The tension and release between these components – tradition and innovation, prearranged songs and improvisation, acoustic tones and electric volume – is what makes them so thrillingly dynamic, in concert and on record. “In theory,” Hoffman explains, “greensky is the complete opposite of bluegrass. So, by definition, we are contrasting everything that isn’t bluegrass with everything that is.”

AKA "The Incredible String Blonde!"  Playing her 29 String Stoney End Harp Sarah creates atmospheric and magical songs about life, the world and the universe.  Most of these tracks are works in progress/demos for her album which is due out soon!  

King Courgette is following