Riley Baugus represents the very best of old time American banjo and song. His powerful singing voice and his expert musicianship place him squarely in the next generation of the quality roots tradition.

Riley is a native of the southern Appalachians. The Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina is where his roots lie, and he grew up learning the music and art of storytelling of the region from older musicians in the area. His solo show consists of a focus on banjos, ballads, stories and songs.

He has toured in the UK for many years with Ira Bernstein, as one half of the hugely popular Appalachian Roots project. He has played at Celtic Connections several times with Dirk Powell, and also toured with Tim Eriksen in the States, as part of the Cold Mountain film tour, and as a duo.

Riley has also recorded with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and with Willie Nelson  – both T-Bone Burnett projects.