Bluegrass, old-time, and folk music lovers alike can’t get enough of The Burnett Sisters Band, as siblings Anissa, Sophia, and Anneli and band mates Justin Alexander from Sweetwater, TN and Geary Allen from London, England are all gifted multi-instrumentalists who are well-known and well-loved in the traditional music circuit.
The band brings a youthful energy and modern flair to each performance, while remaining true to the traditional roots of the genre. Their on-stage chemistry is unmistakable – the type that only close siblings can have, evident in exchanged glances and spontaneous smiles – and their musicianship is undeniable.
For years The Burnett Sisters have dominated the regional competition circuit – from fiddler’s conventions to music festival contests, these young ladies have proven their chops. It was no surprise to anyone that the band took home the top prize at the MerleFest Band Competition in 2022. Most recently, Anissa took home the prestigious blue ribbon for Old-Time Fiddle at the 2024 Old Galax Fiddlers Convention, and Anneli won the incredible first place trophy in Folk Song, both competing against hundreds of singers and fiddlers. On top of all that, these talented individuals also find time to keep traditional music ways alive and well as instructors for the Watauga Junior Appalachian Musicians program, as well as the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies program at ETSU.
To assign a genre to The Burnett Sisters Band would be to oversimplify the breadth of their musical influences – at a typical show, an old-time fiddle tune might be followed by a George Jones song, a driving bluegrass standard or a soaring gospel number. The sisters formed as a band when the youngest was six years old and since then, TBSB has toured across the world and continue to share traditional music wherever they are able.
As the Bluegrass Standard noted, “With more than a decade of playing music, The Burnett Sisters Band brings their harmony to festivals and events across the United States… The North Carolina based group presents a unique blend of traditionally rooted music, influenced by bluegrass and classic country music greats alike”.
With a repertoire that’s equal parts old-time and bluegrass, swing, and folk, this Billboard charting band dives into their material with attention to detail and an appreciation for nuance that lends an authenticity and a feeling of genuine expression rarely matched in today’s traditional music.
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