April 05, 2017 7:00PM - 9:00PM at Spirits Food & Friends
It comes as a surprise that in south Louisiana, where Cajun and zydeco dominate the music scene, Vermilion Express has risen above the din to become one of the state’s hottest young bluegrass bands. The group formed in early 2016 when singer/songwriter Lakeyn Schultz met fiddler Celebrindal Roberts and bassist Alex Goodrich through UL Lafayette’s traditional music program. They added banjo player Benjamin Richey the following semester and the wheels have been rolling ever since.
Reviewers describe the quartet’s sound as full, energetic, and, above all else, authentic. While Alex and Benjamin bring progressive influences such as Chris Thile, Béla Fleck, and Edgar Meyer to the group’s sound, Celebrindal offers balance with her traditional sensibility, honoring Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and Del McCoury. This gap leaves enough room in the middle for Lakeyn to showcase her contemporary singing and writing, weaving a unique tapestry of sound that appeals to a large variety of audiences.
These four, young musicians have set their sights on revitalizing bluegrass in the deep South by performing at concert halls and other venues in Louisiana and beyond. Their first recording will be released on Ragin’ Records in 2017.
“It’s a wonderful kind of music,” states Celebrindal. “And it makes people feel good.” “Exactly,” agrees Lakeyn. “And we’ve met so many people who’ve asked, ‘Why isn’t there more of this?’ that it really inspires us to want to share this music with as many people as possible.”