the band

Fiddle + guitars + sweet harmonies + a fun dive bar vibe — it all adds up to The Federales, a Minneapolis-based collaboration between seven longtime friends and players. Since 2012, fans in the Twin Cities and beyond have lined up for this band’s infectious take on old-school country music. 

It began some years back, when guitarist James Gould and songwriter Ben Miller started running into each other at parties and found that the talk inevitably turned to Townes Van Zandt, Gram Parsons or the Flying Burrito Brothers. They sought out like-minded musician friends and in 2012 formed The Federales. The band captures the warm sonic textures of the ‘60s and ‘70s recordings they’re drawn to. Think a boisterous Bakersfield dance hall or a music-basted Austin barbecue circa 1975. 

While their debut album Blues, Bourbon & Burritos took a straight-ahead approach to Midwestern country sounds and songwriting, Honkytonks & Hangovers leans woozily across a wider swath of American styles — rooted in the present but never jilting the past. Their EP Live at the Gunflint Tavern captures the 2021 edition of an annual Labor Day weekend run of shows in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Come to any of their shows and just try not to tap your feet. Try harder not to dance. A good time? That’s a given.

The Federales are (L to R):

• Jay Scabich on fiddle and guitar

• Mark Larson on drums and percussion

• James Gould on vocals, guitar, and piano

• Karl Wahoske on vocals, banjo, and guitar

• Ben Miller on vocals, guitar, harmonica, and mandolin

• Andy Schuster on bass and vocals

• Chris Holm on harmonica and vocals (not pictured)