Wild Shiners is a quintet based in North and Central Florida. With banjo, fiddle, flat-pick guitar, upright bass, and drums, Wild Shiners’ original sound has been fertilized by southern roots music like country blues, jazz, southern soul, bluegrass, and outlaw country. Wild Shiners’ self-titled EP has been well received and has garnered radio play on GrowRadio out of Gainesville and WFCF Flagler College Radio in St. Augustine. Always serving the song and serving the listeners, Wild Shiners has maintained a steady schedule of playing bars, listening rooms, and festivals throughout the state.
A perennial Florida festival favorite, Wild Shiners has been a featured performer at Gamble Rogers Music Festival, providing support for the venerable and innovative bluegrasser Peter Rowan. Wild Shiners was featured at Sing Out Loud Festival opening for Rhett Miller (of the Ol’ 97’s), at the legendary Ponte Vedra Concert Hall supporting the Travelin’ McCourys, and on the main stage at the Florida Folk Festival, warming up the crowd for John McEuen (in 2018) and country music’s “Swingin’” John Anderson (in 2019).
Wild Shiners has been called face-melting Americana and stands by that. Never ones to shy away from a groove, the boys in the band play high-energy bluegrass-inspired rock and roll. Ripping instrumentals and thoughtful songwriting are found back to back in every Wild Shiners set.
Meet the Boys:
T’ai Welch of Saint Augustine, Florida is that rare drummer who can hold the deepest groove, ground the rhythm section accompaniment on the squirreliest melodic arrangements, and sing harmonies all the while. T’ai has contributed original songs to the Shiners setlist and is as musically proficient as they come. His acute attention to the moment brings him into every song, every time.
Tom Grant, a Gainesvillain, is known on the festival circuit campgrounds and stages for his original, melodic banjo style – a key element of Wild Shiners’ sound. His songwriting is just as strong and unique. A founding member of Wild Shiners, Tom is a powerhouse musician all around.
Brian Turk hails from Gainesville where he lives and plays in several local bands because on bass, Brian is every band’s dream. His understated upright playing is in the pocket and as solid as they come. Brian’s been with Wild Shiners since its inception and has kept the band and the music grounded.
Andrew Cook is Gainesville, Florida’s in-demand fiddler, and his clear fiddle style is instantly recognizable. Trained classically, but also an award-winning old-time and bluegrass fiddler, Andrew brings a depth of tradition and progressive ideas to each song, and he’s a great harmony singer to boot.
Michael Lagasse from Saint Augustine is a songwriter and guitarist for Wild Shiners whose love of the “boom-chuck” will never die. Flatpicking and hollering are his musical strengths, and he’s just glad to have been raised in such an incredible musical community down in Saint Augustine.