Hugely entertaining Americana & country roots from Tennessee
June 2023 tour dates have now been announced! Check out the details and links below
Thu, 01/06/2023 | Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead | Fishery Wharf Cafe |
Fri, 02/06/2023 | Tetbury, Gloucestershire | Goods Shed Arts |
Sat, 03/06/2023 | West Wales | Fire in the Mountain festival |
Sun, 04/06/2023 | Bristol | Bristol Folk House |
Mon, 05/06/2023 | Frodsham, Cheshire | Alvanley Village Hall (contact us for ticket details) |
Tue, 06/06/2023 | Sheffield | The Greystones presented by True North Music |
Wed, 07/06/2023 | Biddulph, Staffordshire | St Lawrence’s Church presented by Biddulph Up in Arms & JR Mountford |
9,10,11 June 2023 | County Mayo, Republic of Ireland | Westport Folk & Bluegrass festival |
Wed, 14/06/2023 | Warminghurst, East Sussex | Music at the Buildings |
Thu, 15/06/2023 | Baulking, Oxfordshire | St Nicholas Church presented by Cow Muck Promotions |
The fun and utterly fabulous Bill and the Belles feature gloriously smooth vocal harmonies, exquisite musicianship and a brilliantly entertaining stage presence. They’ll be touring the UK in June 2023 as a trio featuring fiddle, banjo and guitar. Massively entertaining but hard to categorise, this American band from Johnson City, Tennessee is influenced by classic country, bluegrass and old time music, but they’re also inspired by pop, punk and Motown, especially those classic harmonies which hark back to groups like the Ronettes and The Shangri-Las. Bandleader Kris Truelsen (lead vocals, guitar) also shares his enthusiasm for traditional American music as a renowned producer and presenter for WBCM Radio Bristol, housed in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Tennessee. The trio line-up comprises Kris alongside superbly talented musicians Kalia Yeagle (fiddle, vocals), who also teaches Old Time Music at East Tennessee State University, and sensational banjoist and singer Aidan VanSuetendael.
“They’re a joy to watch live, and we bet you can’t make it through their set without smiling!” – The Bluegrass Situation
As the house band for the historic Radio Bristol programme Farm and Fun Time – now a syndicated TV show which is also produced and hosted by Kris Truelsen – Bill and the Belles regularly perform alongside America’s top country, bluegrass and roots music artists, in an engaging variety style format with segments highlighting Appalachian culture. The bespoke jingles that they write and perform for the show’s sponsors are another fun element of the band’s unique appeal, and it’s no surprise that Farm and Fun Time was picked up by US public television network PBS in 2020. It now airs in around 20 million homes throughout the southern USA, as well as being broadcast live on Radio Bristol.
With two acclaimed albums to their credit, Bill and the Belles have performed at venues and festivals throughout the USA and were nominated for four International Bluegrass Music Association awards in 2017. The band was a smash hit on their debut UK tour in 2019 and we’re delighted to finally welcome them back to the UK in 2023. Bill and the Belles bring to the stage an uplifting live show full of engaging humour, high spirits, and all-around revelry – and we’re sure that audiences will agree!