From raging fiddle tunes, to saxophone solos and unrequited love songs, the music of The Faux Paws would be hard to pin down with standard genre descriptions. The trio’s contagious groove, and feel-good melting pot folk music has been honed over ten years of playing together, and is the sound of three close friends (two of which happen to be brothers), who feel a musical kinship that transcends any stylistic limitations. Now, after nearly a decade of music making, the bi-coastal trio are releasing their self-titled debut album “The Faux Paws”
Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up playing contra dance music with their musician mother in the band Great Bear. Chris Miller grew up in Florida, and he was enamored with bluegrass, and studied jazz before going on to play with GRAMMY nominated Cajun-country band The Revelers. Since meeting in 2012, the trio have toured across North America several times, sometimes under the name The Faux Paws, sometimes as part of other larger ensembles. But due to their commitments to other bands and musical projects, the timing was never right to focus on making The Faux Paws a priority. Instead, they took their time learning about different styles of music from one another, and finding where their interests and skills could create unexpected and exciting new sounds. It may have taken The Faux Paws ten years to make their debut album, but those years have clearly not gone to waste. Now, with an experimental but cohesive vision, the trio brings together seemingly unrelated musical elements into one joyful and distinctive collection, deeply rooted in the raw humanity of folk dance and music traditions.
“…a compelling blend of traditional music virtuosity and driving dancehall rhythms alongside progressive instrumentation and improvisation” – Kara Kundert, Bluegrass Pride
Eleanor Buckland made her start as one-third of Lula Wiles, the Boston-based folk-rock trio that became an acoustic music scene favorite with their three critically hailed albums, the most recent two released on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Now living in Durham, NC, the singer songwriter has turned to a new page as a solo artist. Buckland’s debut album You Don’t Have To Know (released October 2021 on Soundly Music) sets her deeply personal songs against inventive indie rock arrangements.
“Buckland’s folksy drawl plays perfectly with this fresh set of pop tunes that are seemingly built for fans of contemporary FM radio acts like Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift, both nostalgically rustic and immediately modern.” – WBUR
“Eleanor Buckland’s bracing blend of beautiful songs and perceptive honesty, seasoned with a dash of hope, is ultimately reassuring, and a little uplift is always welcome.” – No Depression
“infectious pop melody with a surging beat and chiming guitars…heavy-hearted stunners” – Folk Radio UK
“If there are new Joni Mitchells, Laura Nyros, and Patti Smiths fermenting in the musical scene – Ms. Buckland is one.” – Americana Highways
