Acoustic Syndicate

North Carolina ensemble Acoustic Syndicate has followed an eclectic path since assembling in the early 1990s, even while drawing on bluegrass instrumentation. Guitarist Steve McMurry anchors the central trio alongside cousins Byron McMurry on banjo and Fitz McMurry on drums, channeling rock sensibilities, concise songwriting, and built-in stylistic range that carried the catalog from the layered American roots and global-music fusion of 1999's Tributaries to the propulsive, rock-and-horn emphasis of 2004's Long Way Round. Their vocal blends and instrumental command also earned a reputation as a potent live act drawn to improvisation. After an extended touring break and a 2013 comeback record, the group resumed activity in the latter half of the 2010s and entered a deal with Organic Records in late 2020.

The three McMurry cousins grew up in a close farming community near Shelby, North Carolina, and launched Acoustic Syndicate in 1992 with regional gigs. Although Steve, Byron, and Fitz have always formed the stable core, earlier lineups also featured bassist Jay Sanders, guitarist Roger Padgett, flautist Gaines Post, and saxophonist Jeremy Saunders, sharpening the band's singular identity. From the outset the music extended well beyond bluegrass, as heard on the early independent releases 1996's Acoustic Syndicate and especially 1999's Tributaries, whose broad sonic palette helped reach a wider audience inside the jam-band world. Steady touring placed them on the national festival circuit, leading to 2000's Crazy Little Life and the 2003 concert album Live from the Neighborhood on the North Carolina indie Little King Records. By then established road veterans with a loyal following, they moved to the respected roots label Sugar Hill Records for 2003's Terra Firma. Both Terra Firma and its 2004 successor, Long Way Round, combined richly detailed folk, progressive bluegrass, and vigorous jam rock, with appearances at Bonnaroo and Farm Aid that enlarged their audience further.

Years of intensive touring prompted a deliberate step back in 2005 so the members could concentrate on family and farming in North Carolina. The hiatus ended in 2013 with the sixth album Rooftop Garden, which also returned them to the Little King roster. Several years afterward the McMurrys, joined again by longtime bassist Jay Sanders and newer dobro player Billy Cardine, began performing more regularly and re-establishing Acoustic Syndicate on the road. They marked their 25th anniversary with select shows in 2019 and signed a fresh recording contract with Organic Records a year later.