Yellow Bellied Sap Suckers

THE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS perform original songs and fiddle tunes inspired by the classic hillbilly, western-swing, and old-time fiddling traditions—and they also mine this same repertoire for forgotten gems that deserve to be heard again.

The duo performs frequent concerts at listening rooms and festivals throughout the Midwest and are known for engaging their audiences and putting them at ease with their light-hearted stage presence. They also perform as a dance band for square and contra dances.

Based in Soldiers Grove, WI, the Sapsuckers are Nikki Grossman (fiddle, guitar, vocals) and Joe Hart (guitar, vocals). Both are also highly skilled professional kazooists. Hart and Grossman are seasoned musicians and performers who have worked, together and separately, in numerous other old-time, folk, rock, and country bands, and other musical projects. They are regular performers on the Kickapoo Barn Dance, a live radio musical variety show on their local community radio station, WDRT (www.wdrt.org).

Formed in 2013, the Sapsuckers released their first CD, “Speaking Of Music…Here Are the Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers!” Their second album, “Ocooch Mountain Home,” was recorded and engineered by Tom Herbers, released in March 2015, and has been since widely praised by critics. fROOTS calls out the duo’s “enchanting harmonies” and Grossman’s “note-perfect old-time fiddle playing,” while Bluegrass Today calls the group “impressive.” Their third record, “Don’t Think About Tomorrow Tonight,” was recorded by Herbers at Creation Audio in Minneapolis, and was co-produced by the legendary UK producer John Wood (Richard and Linda Thompson, Nick Drake, Cat Stevens, The Incredible String Band), and features an impressive back-up band.