Alissa Wolf
Alissa began studying the violin at age 8. She followed her heart to numerous summer academies and has studied intensively through the Music in the Mountains Conservatory, the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, the Mark O’Connor Fiddle Conference, and the Berklee College of Music Summer Programs. Inspired by attending local folk festivals such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Alissa began exploring all types of music beyond classical including bluegrass, swing, and jazz. Through this she found her true passion – improvisation. While she attained a B.A. from the University of Puget Sound, she continued to play for the love of music.
Fred Kosak
Fred has been musically active since first taking up the guitar at age 15. Over his 12 years as a professional musician, he has played in numerous ensembles of varying styles and instrumentations, ranging from funk cover bands to intimate acoustic duets. Over the past 15 years, Fred has played mandolin and guitar with numerous New England and Colorado-based roots musicians and acts, including Billy Wylder, Three Tall Pines, Acousticana, Creek River String Band, Ethan Robbins (Cold Chocolate), Greg Lizst (Crooked Still), Zach Hickman (Josh Ritter), the Professors of Bluegrass from Yale University, the Badly Bent, and more. In addition to his facility with a broad range of musical styles, he is a seasoned performer with experience at major festivals and storied venues alike.
Matt Thomas
Matt grew up going to music festivals with his family. He’s been hooked ever since, and has spent the majority of his life performing in bands across a wide array of genres. He’s a founding member of the band Man About a Horse, who were IBMA Momentum Award Nominees and the winners of the 2019 Fresh Grass Band Contest. Matt moved to Colorado in 2019 and quickly became a fixture in the Front Range bluegrass scene, playing in the bands The Reckless Folk and Tonewood and filling in on dozens of other projects. He’s forever grateful for the opportunities and experiences that music has granted him, and he’s always looking forward to the next gig.
Eric Lee
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Eric Lee is a masterful and engaging songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who draws from a deep well of folk and bluegrass tradition. As a teenager, he joined Pete & Maura Kennedy’s supergroup, the Strangelings, (a psychedelic 7-piece band in the style of Fairport Convention) at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2007. He would go on to serve as member of the festival’s house band for over 15 years, accompanying countless songwriters and bands, and additionally performing as a sideman to such notable artists as Eric Andersen and Peter Rowan. Lee’s 2018 solo release, Heartache Town, reached #22 on national folk radio charts, and features guest vocalist Tracy Grammer, and two-time IBMA mandolinist of the year, Jesse Brock, and showcases Lee’s skill as both a producer and arranger. In 2019, he joined the IBMA Momentum award-nominated band Man About A Horse, who would win that year’s Freshgrass Band Contest. In 2021, he formed the New England-based band Poor Monroe, performing traditional and original bluegrass and gospel at festivals including the Green River Festival, Podunk Bluegrass, and at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival as 2023 Emerging Artists. He is thrilled to be the newest member of the Stillhouse Junkies!
photos #1 and 2 by renee cornue studio