What is sometimes hard to describe, is often better to simply listen to. With banjo, mandolin, cello and guitar, The Dead South certainly look the part of bluegrass traditionalists. But as outsiders to the bluegrass world by circumstances of geography and influences, there are few comparisons to be made to the four-piece acoustic band.
A brotherhood first and foremost, formed in university and forged on the road, The Dead South are quite comfortable in their role as a total anomaly most everywhere they go. Their progressive, tightly-constructed approach to acoustic music that favours intricate solos and harmonies has brought two JUNO Awards for Traditional Album of the Year, the most recent for the Muscle Shoals-made Sugar & Joy (2019). The Dead South followed up in 2020 with Served Live, a double live album that celebrated and supported the live music industry in a time of crisis.