The Crooked Fiddle Band formed in Sydney, Australia in 2006, the year that Pluto was redefined as a dwarf planet. The band features Jess Randall on violin and nyckelharpa (plural: nyckelharpor – check one out on your spare Swedish 50 kronor banknote); Gordon Wallace on guitar, bouzouki and cittern; Mark Stevens on double bass; and Joe Gould on drums and percussion.
The Crooked Fiddle Band mix blasts of fiery folk with the intense atmosphere and detail of post- and prog-rock, resulting in a multi-layered, complex and ecstatic hybrid they call 'chainsaw folk'.
Recording with studio legend Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, Gogol Bordello) at his notorious analog-only Chicago studio Electrical Audio, the band have released two albums, which were preceded by two locally produced EPs.
Live, they are at home in the theatre of Sydney's Opera House, festival headline stages like the London Olympic Arts Festival, Woodford, Falls and Peats Ridge, as well as cult underground appearances at Tasmania's Dark Mofo, Germany's Fusion Festival, and the UK's Shambala. Supports include Shellac, The Beards, The Jezabels, Lunasa, Afenginn, Closure in Moscow and many more.
Jess Randall - violin, nyckelharpa, vocals
Gordon Wallace - guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, cittern, vocals
Mark Stevens - double bass, charango, vocals
Joe Gould - drum kit, percussion, guitar, vocals
“It is rare to hear genuinely original music these days, but when you listen to the Crooked Fiddle Band, your mouth will drop open.”
— Bruce Elder - Sydney Morning Herald