Driftwood Bluegrass/Americana/Shanty Rock
Dan Forsyth (guitar/vocals)
Joe Kollar (banjo/vocals/percussion)
Claire Byrne (fiddle/vocals)
Joey Arcuri (upright bass)
Hailing from the Southern Tier of New York, in the post industrial city of Binghamton, Driftwood is one of the brightest new acts to come out of the area's music scene. Formed in 2006 by what was first a simple collaboration between two friends bent on traveling the country playing folk music, they have turned into one of the hardest working bands in the business.
In a post-modern world of skyscrapers and hand-held computers, Driftwood looks beneath the concrete and circuitry to find their sound. Using acoustic instruments, a scrap wood kick box, clapping hands and stomping feet, Driftwood breaks down barriers between old and young, rockers and folkies alike. In June of 2009, they released their first full length recording, "Rally Day", and in 2010, embarked on their first national tour, taking them down the East Coast, through the South, up the California coast to Portland and back through the Midwest to New York. The band also squeezed in a number of Summer festivals in New York that year, including the prestigious Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. With over 700 total shows at clubs, colleges, festivals and countless street performances they have gained a dedicated fan base throughout New York and New England.
In November 2011 Driftwood released their second studio album, "A Rock n Roll Heart". Recorded at 3 Egg Studios in New York City, the album features the group's distinct mix of Americana music in an expansive room with minimal studio production. With stark, almost bare-naked arrangements, each track is laid out in its most natural form with traditional instruments such as Banjo, Guitar, Violin and Bass as a reflection of music past but also as a reminder that the way we listen to music is changing.