Bio

Tanasi is a collaboration of three celebrated Asheville, NC-area roots artists:  Billy Cardine, Mary Lucey, and Anya Hinkle.  A spark was lit the first time Anya and Mary sat down to sing together in the mountains of North Carolina.  The tight sister harmonies created a fire that burned once Billy began layering his inimitable dobro musings into their original songs. Over three years of performing together, the trio has leaned in to bring their own unique world-inspired acoustic mountain music to listening rooms, festival stages and theaters across the US and Europe.  They will be touring as Tanasi in 2024.

About the band members: 

With vivid storytelling and arresting honesty Anya Hinkle’s music is steeped in the tones of folk and bluegrass and seasoned by travels the world over. No Depression says of her 2021 release Eden and Her Borderlands [Organic Records] “…one of roots music’s gems so far this year.” She “effortlessly delivers…” (Pop Matters) with "...vivid songwriting and transportive vocals…” (Folk Alley). Hinkle won the 2019 MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Competition and was runner-up in the 2022 International Acoustic Music Awards in 2022; she had a No.1 song and No. 2 album on Folk Radio charts in 2018. Her newest album, Oceania, releases on Red Parlor Records in 2024, produced by Kevin Moloney (U2, Sinéad O’Connor) and featuring legendary Irish guitarist John Doyle (Solas, Tim O’Brien, Joan Baez) and brilliant slide guitarist Billy Cardine.

Billy Cardine has been recognized as a slide guitar pioneer, taking the Dobro with him into unchartered genres. Dobro master Jerry Douglas calls him “an amazing Dobro player. He is fluent in everything that I do and everybody that has come before. I couldn’t pick a better example of where the Dobro is now or what the possibilities are with the instrument.”   Billy’s distinct voice on all things slide has lead him to collaborations with Led Zeppelin's, John Paul Jones, world renowned, Edgar Meyer in Porous Borders of Music, and alongside Jerry Douglas on Tut Taylor’s Tribute album, Southern Filibuster.  His album, Six String Swing, ushered the dobro into the world of Gypsy Jazz and his mentor Mike Auldridge said it best when describing the album, “The swing music Billy Cardine is tackling on the resophonic guitar on this project is some of my all time favorite music, and in his hands, the music itself takes on an all new meaning to me. It all sounds so natural to the resophonic guitar that one is almost forgiven for not realizing that this is pretty much impossible to pull off so convincingly. Billy is definitely a rising star in the resophonic world!” He has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Ryman Auditorium and major festivals, such as Bonnaroo, Merlefest and Rockygrass.  As an engineer and producer, his works have won national and international awards and recognition including Indie Acoustic Music Project’s Roots Album of the Year, Chicago Tribune’s Best Bluegrass records of the year and an Apple iPod Playlist Hot PickAs an internationally featured artist, he has toured in India, Japan, Europe and Canada. More info at https://billycardine.com/epk. 

Mary Lucey is a talented vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Her clear and soulful vocals are instantly recognizable. As a bass player, she held down the rhythm for the band she cofounded, The Biscuit Burners, as well as with the all female group, Uncle Earl.  Over the last several years, she has been showcasing clawhammer banjo as her new rhythmic muse with projects such as Lovers Leap and The Billy Sea. Recognized for her songwriting at Merlefest, Mary continues to draw people into her original songs with a lyrical style, haunting in its honesty.  She has played venues such as The Kennedy Center, Ryman Auditorium, Bonnaroo, Merlefest and Rockygrass.  Her music has been featured on BBC World tv's Destination Music and PBS's Roadtrip Nation, Mountain Stage and Woodsong’s Radio Hour.

Quotes:

“Certainly striking, certainly beautiful… everything one could look for in a bluegrass-tinged Americana”

— AmericanaUK 

“…vivid songwriting and transportive vocals…”

— Folk Alley

“A burgeoning force behind the Appalachian roots revival”

— PopMatters

links:

website: www.tanasiband.com

socials: www.instagram.com/tanasiband