How To Start A Bluegrass Band

• Step 1: Post an invitation for a bluegrass jam session on Craigslist. 
• Step 2: Jam. 
• Step 3: See who is interested in starting a band.
• Step 4: Form a band and start playing shows.

This may not be the route that most people take, but this was the beginning of Hammer Creek Bluegrass, a local Lancaster band started by Brad Richard. 

Brad began playing banjo at age 10. Later, while attending McCaskey High School, Brad and his two friends formed a band, and they were invited to play with the school chorus and later at a school assembly. Bluegrass was not the most sought-after musical genre for students attending McCaskey in the 90s, but when Brad and his friends played, people loved it. After playing in front of the student body, Brad said, “I was hooked.” 

After high school, that band faded, and it wasn’t until years later that Brad decided to find another group. He posted the previously mentioned invite for the bluegrass jam session on Craigslist in 2020, and the original Hammer Creek Bluegrass band was formed from that first gathering.

Hammer Creek

Growing up, Brad would drive from Lancaster City to Lebanon to visit family every Sunday. Driving up 501, he would always see signs for Hammer Creek. Years later, when the band was looking for a name, Brad mentioned Hammer Creek Bluegrass, and the guys loved it. It has stuck ever since. 

Traditional Bluegrass

The band has gone through a few different iterations of band members and styles. They began with traditional bluegrass before experimenting with more modern approaches. For a time, they would take songs from popular artists like Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen and “bluegrassify” them. These remixes were popular, and Brad said those remixes stretched him and gave him opportunities to explore new styles. Now the band has gone back to their roots and to the roots of bluegrass itself, playing tunes by Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and others who shaped the sound of bluegrass from the start.

Making It Your Own

I asked Brad how closely they stick to the original tunes when they play traditional bluegrass. “You respect their original composition, but you need to make it your own.” Brad told me there are “licks” and “fill-ins” that come with people like Earl Scruggs, and those are opportunities to tip your hat to tradition while still putting your own stamp on the music. There is a strong universal aspect to traditional bluegrass because of the shared songs and structures. People enjoy those familiar tunes, but also appreciate how each musician brings their own style. 

An Urban Renaissance

The International Bluegrass Music Association recently said that bluegrass music is growing faster in urban environments than anywhere else. Brad, who grew up in the city, would love to see more bluegrass downtown. They play shows all around Pennsylvania and Maryland, but Brad is especially excited about some upcoming shows in his hometown.

Hammer Creek received a CPMA nomination for Best Bluegrass Band in PA this past year, the second time they have been honored with this nomination.  Current band members are Brad Richard (banjo), Butch Flory (guitar), Kevin Kresge (bass), Randie Rineer (fiddle), and Larry Russell (mandolin). 

If you’d like to purchase tickets to their show at Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse, those are available here. Follow them on Facebook and on The Lancaster Review’s Live Music in Lancaster page to see their upcoming shows.