It was noted today on the band’s facebook page that founding member/vocalist/mandolinist Jeff Austin will be leaving Younder Mountain String Band effective immediately. What must come as a shock to the fans and the band themselves, YMS will continue on with fellow founding members Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), David Johnston (banjo, vocals) and special guests throughout the rest of the year and hope to have a new permanent lineup shortly.
Yonder Mountain String Band is all about family, and through the support of our family of fans, we have been able to play music for you for the past 15 years. We couldn’t be more proud about our successes and experiences performing at the best venues and festivals in the country, and for the most dedicated fans any band could ever wish to have. With this said, YMSB would like to share some news about the future of the band. Collectively, after long, heartfelt discussions, we’ve all decided to move forth with a newly formed line-up due to varying career goals and creative pursuits. As of today, all future YMSB shows will be performed with Adam Aijala (guitar, vocals), Ben Kaufmann (bass, vocals), and David Johnston (banjo, vocals). We will welcome exciting special guests throughout the rest of the year and we look forward to a new permanent line-up in 2015. YMSB fully supports Jeff Austin and his emerging solo career.
Yonder Mountain String Band will perform all scheduled dates throughout 2014 with the new line up and special guests. Jeff Austin will be announcing more dates for his solo endeavors in the coming months. The band wants the fans to know that this decision did not come easily, and we’ll certainly keep all of our fans up to date with the new Yonder band-member line-up information.
We greatly look forward to seeing everyone out on the road this Summer and Fall!
With Gratitude & Respect,
Ben, Jeff, Dave & Adam
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