Thankful Dirt

For a two-piece, the Des Moines,Iowa-based folk band Thankful Dirt has a very full and rich sound. Their brand of rootsy Americana has an authenticity that makes it feel both new and timeless. The band's sound is grounded in Molly Matthew's deeply soulful voice. Her vocals have that slight achiness of a country crooner, but she brings a depth that feels like the blues. She's backed up by her partner Darren Matthews who adds consistently solid musical arrangements on a range of string instruments including guitar and banjo. This is definitely a band worth catching: low-key and folky while still powerful and generously beautiful.

Darren is a masterful guitarist who has been playing music professionally since high school. He was a founding member of Iowa's High and Lonesome, a roots rock powerhouse that performed all over the United States and Italy from 1992 -1998. While being most well known for his electric and slide guitar playing in the past, he is now developing a reputation as one of Iowa's best acoustic players. He and Molly began playing and writing music together in 2008. They have performed over 200 shows together in that time, at a wide variety of venues and events.