Americana-tinged bluegrass band The Lil Smokies have made a name for themselves since they formed in Missoula, Montana, in 2009. Influenced by Laurel Canyon songwriting circa the 1970s, they've amassed a solid and loyal fanbase, regularly touring across the United States and headlining major festivals including LOCKN' and Bourbon & Beyond, and performing at renowned venues such as Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

The Lil Smokes have become hometown heroes, known for taking their unique brand of bluegrass far beyond the borders of Montana. With frenetic banjo picking, fiddle plucking and lilting melodies, they've earned several prestigious recognitions from the International Bluegrass Music Association, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition and the Northwest String Summit Band Competition.

Their third album, 2020's Tornillo, produced by Bill Reynolds of The Avett Brothers and Band of Horses fame, has been praised by the media for its ambitious complexity, with American Songwriter declaring, "The Lil Smokies are in the center of Bluegrass' evolution with their rapid banjo plucks, buoyant choruses and music created out of a composite of influences." Grab tickets today to catch their energetic and uplifting live performances in a town near you.

The Lil Smokies Live in Concert

Missoula, Montana, five-piece The Lil Smokies formed in 2009 and have weathered a few lineup changes over the years, but still consider each other best friends. The band was founded by frontman Andy Dunnigan, who was more interested in sports growing up but ended up being convinced by his friends to play music in high school. Later, while studying at the University of Montana, he met the other founding members of The Lil Smokies, with whom he started the band.

Drawing comparisons to Steep Canyon Rangers and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Lil Smokies have become Americana and bluegrass festival staples known for pushing boundaries while always staying true to their bluegrass roots.

Their third studio album, Tornillo, is named for the small Texas town where the band recorded it in the midst of a 200-acre Pecan tree orchard. The experience of recording brought the band closer than ever and was a welcome rest after spending a couple of years touring almost non-stop. While previous albums featured songs written only by frontman Dunnigan, several of the songs on Tornillo were written by other band members as part of a more democratic process and received rave reviews from critics and fans alike.