Chicago’s Henhouse Prowlers are one of several new SWBMAI member bands we’ll be spotlighting in the coming days.

With a PBS series soundtrack already to its credit and a sophomore recording in the works, The Henhouse Prowlers have been barnstorming on to the red hot bluegrass scene since 2004.  Dedicated equally to tradition and innovation, the five-piece combo center their sound on that of the early, formative years of bluegrass, while they keep their pulse on today by covering contemporary topics in a largely original repertoire.

Guitarist Ben Benedict describes what they are trying to achieve. “None of us in this band lives in a ‘Little Cabin Home on the Hill.’ Most of our audience doesn’t either. But there is a broad spectrum of life that we can all relate to, so those are the themes we try to hit on and tell stories about in our original material.”

Along with Benedict, fiddler Ryan Hinshaw, dobro player James Weigel, five-string banjo picker Ben Wright, and upright bassist Jon Goldfine bring to the table diverse musical backgrounds, drawn from their respective families and homeplace communities. Each pursued music in a variety of settings, ensembles, and genres prior to jelling as The Henhouse Prowlers.

The band has an impressive web site at www.henhouseprowlers.com, and you can keep up to date with them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hhp.  Welcome aboard!