Pennsylvania-based Echo Valley has brought its blend of rock, bluegrass, Americana, folk and “grassicana” to venues across the U.S. At times covering songs that are quite unexpected – for instance, the music of Guns N’ Roses – Echo Valley brings a fresh roots-inspired interpretation to the familiar. It seems their “retro vibe” respects no rigid boundaries. It can encompass the style and sounds of yesteryear (Frank Sinatra) or the high energy and rebellious attitude of 80s rock.
This past spring, they released a single – the Echo Valley version of the GNR rock classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
“It was a great experience doing a cover of an 80s rock tune,” explained Echo Valley fiddle player Emily Anderson. “We had a blast recording it, and it really pushed our musical boundaries.”
The single was released in advance of the full album.
“The new record was engineered and mixed by Scott Vestal and produced by Valerie Smith of Bell Buckle Records,” Anderson explained. “Working with both of them in the studio was amazing. Valerie and Scott's expertise boosted us to the next level and fine-tuned our style.”
Anderson has honed her craft as a fiddle player over the past 22 years. As the 2021 Pennsylvania State Fiddle Grand Champion – and the 2018 Maryland State Fiddle Grand Champion – this woman of bluegrass has a passion that’s grabbed attention and made her a vital part of this talented sibling-based group. Her background began with classical violin training, which might help explain why the band crosses genres and touches upon various musical influences.
“I took classical violin lessons for many years. When I was 10, I went to my first fiddle contest at a local fair, and I was hooked,” she said. “We came home, and my dad found me sheet music for ‘Boil Them' Cabbage Down.’ The next year, I entered the contest, and you can imagine my disappointment when I came in dead last. I spent the next few years honing my skills and competing in as many local contests as I could.”
Thirteen years later, she finally scored big with the Pennsylvania Grand Champion Fiddle title.
“All the hard work and lessons learned have made me the fiddle player I am today,” she explained. “I love this instrument!”
Echo Valley is composed of six siblings, including five sisters and one brother; they’re an attractive bunch of young talents. The rest of the Echo Valley Andersons include band leader, guitarist and vocalist, Lizzy; banjoist, fiddler and vocalist, Olivia; bass player, Emmaline; mandolin player, Dolly; and the member contributing male energy to Echo Valley, the girls’ brother and Scruggs-style banjo player, David.
“We started performing 15 years ago at a local church,” Anderson continued. “We only knew one song, which we played over and over for several months. That got embarrassing, so we learned another, which led to another, and another, and so on.”
Since then, they’ve progressed to recording several albums and performing everywhere, from Dollywood to Nashville’s legendary venue, The Station Inn.
While Echo Valley's main goal is to someday perform at the Grand Ole Opry, these young musicians are already quite busy booking dates and traveling to fairs, festivals and venues this winter.
“In January, we will be playing for the January Ice Jam in Beaver Falls, Penn.,” she said. “It's for a non-profit called the Bluegrass Relief Fund, which helps those of the bluegrass community in need. We will also be headed down to Apalachicola, Florida, in February.”
“We love a variety of music and genres and have learned to keep things interesting for ourselves, which in turn keeps it interesting for the audience,” Anderson said. “From traditional bluegrass to Frank Sinatra tunes to Electric Light Orchestra, there are no limits to the music we perform…except for rap,” she added.
“We enjoy playing unusual songs with our bluegrass instruments and surprising ourselves and our audiences,” she added.
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