The Wanton String Band play hedonistic folk-inspired psychedelic dance music. Their sound ranges from face-melting, trance-inducing renditions of fiddle tunes to synth-infused murder ballads. Their ecstatic, infectious take on traditional music has had audiences dancing on tables and hanging from rafters since their formation in 2016.
Coming from a range of musical backgrounds including traditional Celtic, indie pop, electronic and Renaissance, the band was introduced to American old time fiddle music by fiddler and vocalist Nathan after a chance meeting in Istanbul. Enthralled (some might say obsessed) by the music’s melodies, warm string sounds and hypnotic repetition, the members fused their disparate influences with their favourite picks from the old time canon. The result is the ecstatic, tradition-rooted, and shamelessly danceable sound of The Wanton String Band.
The Wanton String Band are Nathan Bontrager (fiddle, voice), Stuart Graham (bouzouki, voice), Chris Jones (mandolin), Ewan Macdonald (fiddle), Richard O’Flynn (drums, synth, voice) and Jess Whelligan (cello, voice).
