With many of their wildest dreams strung across two decades as an outfit, the HENHOUSE PROWLERS‘ sight remains fixed on the future.
It’s been 20 years well spent. The kinship between Ben Wright (banjo, vocals), Chris Dollar (guitar, vocals), Jon Goldfine (bass, vocals), and Jake Howard (mandolin, vocals) is palpable, the four having traveled to places most touring musicians could never predict. Using these experiences as a foundation, there’s truly no limit to where this Chicago-based quartet will go – literally and figuratively.
Ever constant in the group’s enthralling performances is their ability to showcase their passion for both their craft and our shared humanity. Each member skilled in storytelling, compelling songwriting and intricate instrumentation, they offer intrinsic artistic prowess, fervently building on one another’s raw talent. Reverence for tradition coupled with curiosity and innovation lands the Prowlers in a category difficult to define but explosively intriguing around every bend.
Their latest record, ‘Unravel,’ produced by Dark Shadow Recording’s Stephen Mougin (Sam Bush Band) underscores the band’s resistance towards being contained, some tunes expressing a modern Americana feel with others nodding to classic country and bluegrass standards. On this newest offering, their trademark four-piece harmonies have only matured in tone and sincerity, their picking ferocious as ever. It’s a testament to their emboldened status as composers, walking fine lines and eschewing strict categorization in favor of experimentation and satisfying their inner artistry.
The subject matter largely encircles ever-challenging life on the road, as well as reflections on war, personal quests, the passage of time, and tremendous loss, all rounded out by peaks of joy, lighthearted imagination, and hearts unburdened. Mirroring their worldly touring reality, seemingly no terrain is left untraversed. Weathered and worn, nevertheless brightly shining for all to see, ‘Unravel’ welcomes the listener as though they were an old companion, eager to share their intimate stories of years gone by.
But you haven’t really experienced the band until you see them onstage. Audiences can expect to hear tunes from their extensive songbook accompanied by an inspiring narrative and international music, perhaps even in a language they’ve never heard before.
To date, the Prowlers have toured 29 countries on 5 continents working with the U.S. State Dept and their own nonprofit, BLUEGRASS AMBASSADORS. The group’s many life-changing encounters with people and musicians across the globe have shaped their worldview and bolstered the bridges they establish between cultures. Through workshops, presentations, and a forthcoming documentary, they spread the familiarities discovered in unsuspecting corners of the world and are committed to broadcasting what they are certain of: we have more in common than we don’t. Time and time again, music demonstrates that when we focus on love, beautiful connections can sprout.
For this troupe, the work doesn’t stop at music-making – they are actively striving for a kinder world.