The Vagaband

Hailing from Norwich, England, the Vagaband formed in 2010 as an inventive and soulful Victorian folk-pop ensemble. Singer/songwriters Jose McGill and Gregory Cook established the group, which expanded into an eight-piece lineup featuring Patrick Arbuthnot on pedal steel, Joe Wright on fiddle and mandolin, Tristan Roche and Daniel Reynolds on bass, Ali Houiellebecq handling sax, clarinet, flute, and whistle, plus Hugh Stanners on flügelhorn, trumpet, and squeezebox. The musicians started out performing as a street band before bringing their spirited live show to bars, stages, and festivals. Their first album, Town & Country, appeared independently on the Eggsongs label in 2012, with the follow-up effort Medicine for the Soul arriving two years later.