Hotwire

Hotwire was formed in 2005 by selecting some of the best musicians in central Idaho. We play and eclectic mix of newgrass, old-style bluegrass, country, folk and acoustic genres that are hard to pin down.

The band is composed of four veteran performers:

Dave Hunt is a two-time Utah State flat-picking champion on both guitar and mandolin. He has placed 2nd on fiddle. Dave’s uncanny ability to duplicate complex Doc Watson licks on guitar is a showstopper. His pleasant tenor voice occasionally takes the lead, and provides the foundation for Hotwire’s harmonies.

Hotwire's lead singer, Dale Fisk, toured the western U.S. with a country-rock band in the 1970s. He plays guitar and mandolin. He has placed 3rd In Idaho’s Old Time Fiddler’s flat-picking competition on mandolin. His clear voice has the versatility to range from a high lonesome sound reminiscent of Vince Gill all the way down to more resonant tones of singers like Johnny Cash.

Dennis Maggard plays banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass. He has taken first place in Idaho’s Old Time Fiddler’s state flat-picking competition on guitar. Dennis’s deep bass voice gives Hotwire’s occasional four-part harmonies its rich tone.

For the past eight years Helen Smith has played bluegrass bass in the states of Idaho, Washington and Montana. She provides that rhythmic glue that binds a bluegrass band together. She also plays guitar and provides the high harmonies that give Hotwire its clear, resonant vocal blend.

Everybody sings harmony.