Wayward Grassicana
Giant Valley String Band is a Twin Cities acoustic group playing an eclectic mix of covers and originals in bluegrass and Americana.
We have played a wide variety of venues, including Amsterdam Bar & Hall, Badger Hill Brewing, Day Block Brewing, Driftwood Char Bar, Eagles 34, Hayes Public House, Heavy Rotation Brewing, Mill Valley Market, River Bottom Tavern & Brewhouse, White Squirrel Bar, and multiple festivals of the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association.
We have played bills with many of the best musicians in the area including Blue Groove, Gated Community, Half Baked, High & Rising, JJ Rounders, Last Pick'd String Band, Old Time Barnstormers, Rosie Daze Band, Rusty Playground, and Uncle Muskrat. We recorded a full album of originals in the studio of the Minnesota Songwriter Sanctuary.
We're known for our dynamic harmonies, eclectic instrumentation, and on-stage energy. We have six lead and harmony singers, as well as several songwriters in the group. Our name comes from the place we met - a bluegrass jam at the Giantvalley American Legion in Minneapolis. Born out of a love of music and playing together, we formed our band in the summer of 2024.
*******
Meet the Band
Noelle Haland sings and plays rhythm guitar, and figures middle-age is the best age to finally embrace her inner-theater-kid desires to make music.
Ted Haland has spent most of his life in parts of the United States where soft drinks are called “pop.” He plays dobro, guitar, and bass.
Nate Hess is a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and heavy metal drummer turned flat picker. Now he is trying to learn the cantankerous machine they call a fiddle. While performing is awesome, it's sharing music with the audience that really thrills him.
Erika Janik is just a girl, standing in front of a banjo, asking it to love her.
Matt Jensen plays mandolin, sings, and writes songs. He also plays a variety of instruments in other groups in the styles of bluegrass, old time, and Irish traditional music.
Debra Pflipsen's mom showed her how to play “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window” on guitar at age five, and her brother showed her “It’s My Life.” Lots of notes later, she's happier than a barn cat in a sun beam to be blending sounds with the GVSB.
