All-female bluegrass group Della Mae coming to The Harvester

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – “Fortunately, there are so many more women playing music, thanks to just educational opportunities for kids getting into bluegrass. There’s just a lot of girls empowered to play bluegrass right now, says Della Mae founder and fiddle player, Kimber Ludiker

“I started the band in 2009. I was living in Boston at the time. I was going to a lot of bluegrass festivals and really falling in love with the music, but I didn’t see enough women on stage,” says Ludiker.

So, the fifth generation fiddle player decided to start her own all- female group.

“I just had this idea to create a band full of women to showcase talents of people, especially instrumentally,” says Ludiker.

Since forming, Della Mae has performed in more than 30 countries.

And after a break from touring due to the pandemic, they’re grateful to be back out on the road again.

Tonight, they’ll play at The Harvester.

“Getting back into a room where it’s just reverberates in you. Face to face. There’s nothing that beats that, Ludiker says.

Della Mae also has a new album, titled “Family Reunion,” captures the joy of the band returning to the stage.

“I think the band is the best they’ve ever been. Everybody is kind of playing at the peak of anything I’ve ever heard any of them do,” says Ludiker.

And Ludiker says Della Mae has also managed to win over new fans of bluegrass music.

“We have gained a lot of fans who, surprise we like bluegrass now. We didn’t know we liked bluegrass. That’s what bluegrass is? We can certainly play traditional bluegrass and pull it off, but we’re also songwriters, innovators. We pay respect to tradition while putting something out there that I believe is uniquely our own,” says Ludiker.

If you come out to see them play, Ludiker says you’ll find that there’s something for everyone.

“You’re going to be able to see and hear a little bit of Bill Monroe or the Stanley brothers, but with a little bit of twist if you’re a fan of folks like Dolly Parton or Merle Haggard or all of the kind of classics, too.,” says Ludiker.

For a link to ticket information, click here.

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