When Tray Wellington first called us up to do a one-off show together at The Red Hat Amphitheater at IBMA in Raleigh NC in September of 2023, we became one of the few contemporary Black string bands working in roots music. We had so much fun playing together at the Red Hat gig that we decided to become a band, and New Dangerfield was born. We found, and continue to find, so much kinship in one another.
As a band we hold incredible memories from these last two-plus years together, including playing Rhiannon Giddens’s inaugural Biscuits and Banjos Festival, opening the main stage on the last day of Newport Folk Festival, and finding a broader community of Black listeners who connected with the music and saw parts of their own lives and histories within it.
All good things must eventually come to an end. It is with heavy hearts that we are announcing New Dangerfield’s indefinite hiatus. As much as we’ve loved playing together and touring this music, we have increasingly found ourselves pulled toward diverging life paths. Touring and running a business as a band is no easy feat, especially in the current economic climate. Though we are closing the chapter on New Dangerfield, we will no doubt all be moving on to other exciting individual endeavors. We hope you’ll stick around!
If you came to a show, hired us for a concert or festival, told your friends or family about Black string band music, or if you simply are a fan–thank you! We have deeply appreciated your support and will not forget it anytime soon.
With love,