Longtime runner-ups, first-time winners: Matt Eckstine (vocals, guitar), Colleen Heine Smith (vocals, fiddle), Zach Smith (upright bass, vocals) and Stan Ray (drums) continue to create some of the most fun, roots-infused music the East Coast is serving up right now. With innovative venue and release party strategies, they’re experts at keeping fans engaged, stimulated, and in tune with their community while performing harmony-laden toe-tappin’ tunes with energy and warmth.
Runner-up: Velvet Caravan
