headlining in 2019

Wow, have we got some great treats lined up this year.
No fewer than 6, yes that's right SIX, bands coming over from the US to grace our stage. All of them are at the top of their game and many of them are young and represent the future of Bluegrass music. 
We also have two British bands, who also represent the current trends and future direction of the vibrant Bluegrass scene from across the Channel.
We are so looking forward to this year's festival!

entrance to all concerts is free
Scroll down to find out more about MIle Twelve, Della Mae, Whitney Rose, AJ Lee & Blue Summit,
​Lover's Leap, Tellico, Ben Somers Band, The Often Herd.
Click on photos to see larger version

mile twelve (USA)

Saturday August 3, 1 pm & 10:15 pm
I first came across this band in 2016 at IBMA. They won the IBMA Momentum Award in 2017 for bands on the rise and received band nominatios for more awards in 2018 (emerging artist, instrumental recording). 
They write great songs, their arrangements are smart and tasteful, and their groove carries you through their music. They are young, bright and friendly. I love this band formed in Boston in 2014 and, through time on the road, have developed into an original, solid "band", as their new album produced by Bryan Sutton and just out confirms.

della mae (usa)

Friday August 2, 10:15 pm
We are really excited to bring Della Mae to Europe for two exclusive shows with Geneva's Summer Music Series as they embark on a new tour to promote their latest project The Butcher's Shoppe EP. We have known them for many years and spoken with them often about coming to La Roche Bluegrass Festival and it's wonderful to see  this come true. I love their "combination of playfulness and muscle as a performing unit" (NPR Music). I also love their active promotion of female musicians all round the world. This is a great band and we are lucky they are able to find time to come and share their music and their mission with us.

lover's leap (usa)

Saturday August 3, 8:45 pm
We know some of these guys as Billy Cardine (dobro) plays with Rapidgrass and was at La Roche many times, last year with Mary Lucey (on banjo). Shelby Means came through playing bass with Rachel Baiman on her January tour. Shelby tours with husband Joel Timmons as "Sally and George" (I love them) and the two couples teamed up in the last year to form this wonderful band Lover's Leap. They are al masters of their instruments and superb vocalists so we expect to spend just over an hour of delight in their company. 

aj lee & blue summit (usa)

Friday August 2, 8:45 pm - Sunday  August 3, 1 pm
We met these guys at IBMA in Raleigh last year and they are awesome. A young California band who grew up in the same stable as many people we know in La Roche from Kathy Kallick thru Frank Solivan to Molly Tuttle. They are young and super talented. And they rock their "genre-fluid Bluegrass" through the powerful mandolin and award winning vocals of AJ Lee, the versatile guitar talents of Jesse Fichman and Sully Tuttle and strong bass presence of Chad Bowen.
See more about them from this recent interview with AJ in Bluegrass Today.

tellico (usa)

whitney rose (USA)
Thursday August 1, 9:45 pm
Tellico is typical of many bands from the cradle of Bluegrass in North Carolina. Their songs are all about great story telling, vibrant musicianship and smart arrangements, managing at the same time to modernise the music and redefine the southern Appalachian sound.
While they are all steeped in the local music culture, they have travelled extensively bringing fresh ideas to their songs. We are fortunate to take advantage of their European summer tour to bring them to La Roche Bluegrass Festival 
Sunday August 4, 9 pm
OK, so it's not straight up Bluegrass but that is what our Sunday evening shows are all about, and I fell totally for this artist at a show near Geneva last summer, taken by my deadhead friend Jean-Mi from Marseille.
It was a great evening and I couldn't stop dancing. So, on the spot, I asked her to come play at La Roche. A few email exchanges later and it was fixed. Please treat yourself to one of the greatest, laid-bare country music artists of our time. 

ben somers band (gbr)

Friday August 2, 11:45 pm
We know Ben Somers as he has played here twice already, once at the festival in 2017 with The Peregrines (Joe Walsh, Grant Gordy, Bobby Britt). Here he is with his string band (he also plays in a country rock band and can be found on the saxophone in a New Orleans jazz band). With the String Band he is accompanied by France's friend of the festival Dorian Ricaux (guitar), Evan Davies of The Often Herd (mandolin) and for this show, much sought after British fiddler Laura Carrivick. They are our friends and a great band, and I'm so happy to have them over this year. I am sure you will enjoy their set.

the often herd (GBR)

Saturday August 3, 7:30 pm
The Often Herd are the first British band to win the La Roche Band contest and, as such, we are delighted to invite them back with a headline slot.
Personally I love their brand of Bluegrass with a deep taste of laid back California sunshine touched by the industrial north of England. They deliver a great show with some excellent original material mixed with beautifully arranged and crafted covers.
Above all, you can tell they are having a great time and you will too.