The Driftless

The name ‘The Driftless’ refers to a small area in the Midwest, otherwise known as the Paleozoic Plateau, which was left untouched by the last glacial maximum, creating a unique terrain absent the silt, gravel and boulders left behind by the retreating glaciers all around it.

The band, The Driftless is a quartet of Santa Cruzians, Megan Saunders (mandolin, banjo and vocals), Blair McLaughlin (fiddle, guitar and vocals), Rob Smith (guitar, vocals) and Jeff Kissell (string bass). Drawing from folk, blues, old time and bluegrass to build their unique sound, Blair and Megan write songs about “places we’ve been, our amazing friends, lovers and local wanderings. We’re not enamored with typecasts of boxcars and cowboys. We’re inspired by the fields and forests around our towns and the people and animals who share our lives. Like the Driftless Area, playing music together is a consistent space where we take refuge and celebrate.”

Meg Saunders, mandolin, banjo, vocals
Meg comes to The Driftless with a background in various genres including classical, jazz, old-time and bluegrass. Her journey began when she starting playing piano and composing classical music at the age of seven. This led to 15 years of classical and jazz study primarily as a flutist, vocalist and composer, and placements in the top 1-5 slots in several state, regional and national competitions as a classical flutist and jazz vocalist. Meg had, however, the nagging feeling that something was missing – “I had an intuitive feeling that I was missing something important, and decided rather haphazardly to pick up the mandolin to play American roots music for fun. With this I experienced an epiphany - I found my voice, and have had a deep connection with both the mandolin and traditional American music since. Playing acoustic string band music brings together some of the best aspects of the human experience – deep emotion, raw, enchanting sound and community. For me, The Driftless embodies these aspects of music, and I am honored to be a part of the group.” Meg comes to the Driftless with a roster of over 400 original compositions, and continues to make an impact with her songs, most recently winning an honorable mention in the "Song of the Year" contest (placing in the top 10 of >19,500 entries) with the song "Don't you come around here (My World has Grown)" that is currently being performed with the Driftless (http://songwriter.songoftheyear.com/songwriting-contest/megansaunders.htm).

Blair McLaughlin (fiddle, guitar, vocals)
Blair comes to The Driftless ensemble with a deep love of American roots music and an enchantment with the process of composing and playing with Meg, Jeff, Rob and friend of the band Nicole. Originally from the Midwest, Blair picked up bluegrass and oldtimey fiddle by playing with folks in the Rolling Culivators at the UCSC farm, picking traditional tunes weekly in the packing shed next to the row crops overlooking the bay. She also enjoys sitting in with the Juncos and other local bands.

Rob Smith (guitar, vocals)
Growing up in Rhode Island in the early 80s, many of Rob's first musical influences had big curly hair and painted-on, shredded jeans. Fortunately, Rob was able to broaden his musical horizons as time went on, and has been dedicated to listening to and learning about the art of acoustic folk (lower case) music for the past 15 years. There is nothing that he likes more than the joy of playful musical exploration with good friends, of which the opportunity to play with The Driftless is a natural extension. He has played with Taki Ñan, The Redwood Ramblers, The Four Finger String Band, The Wrong Road and The Lampel Brothers.

Jeff Kissell (string bass)
Born within broadcasting distance of the great Detroit Michigan, Jeff’s first independent musical experiences were the sweet sounds of Motown on the radio. That coupled with a healthy dose of rock and roll (the Buddy Holly kind) and hootenanny sing-alongs as an infant put him on the path... “I’ve always let curiosity and an insatiable desire for the deepest groove be my guide, all the while staying true to the inherent soul of the music.” With more than 30 years of experience as a bass player, Jeff has played “just about everything” but always comes back to the spirit of the great American music forms. Self taught and ever learning, the Driftless is a unique opportunity to explore songcraft with truly gifted songwriters.