Are You Ready for the Next Big Thing In Bluegrass?

Turns out the next big thing is pretty little. The Mizzone Brothers, AKA "Sleepy Man Banjo Boys," are quickly rising as the next big thing in the Bluegrass/Roots genre. And guess what? They're from New Jersey! Not exactly Appalachian roots, which is why we give them props for standing out:

“New Jersey is not what you would call a Bluegrass state. That’s one of the interesting parts about our story,” said Tommy. “There are definitely Bluegrass fans here, but maybe we’re making a few new ones, which is kind of cool.”

This video was taken when the youngest, Jonny, was a little 8 year old banjo picker. Only 8 years old! I can't even imagine how far he's come in three years. Well, maybe we can. All the way to Jimmy Kimmel:

These kids get it too. If you were to ask them why they love the roots-style, it wasn't because they grew up around it, but because they admire this unique form of music:

"There’s really not any other kind of music that is similar to it. We also like the pureness of the acoustic sound – there’s no way to hide behind effects or distortion pedals so you have to be proficient on your instrument to play this music well.”

Lucky for us, they just released an EP last month, By My Side, which you can catch on iTunes!