Yarn & Pressing Strings

Yarn is a roots-music group with an Americana-tinged alt-country sound all their own. Their unconventional sound has evolved from its earliest days as a bar band in New York City to an outstanding roots band that’s shared stages with Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart, Alison Krauss, and Leftover Salmon, among many others. For over a decade, Yarn has toured the country several times over, developing legions of devoted fans (called “the Yarmy”), while most recently they’ve started hosting Yarnival, an annual three-day music and alternative entertainment festival, complete with sword swallowers, burlesque dancers, magicians, freak shows, and, of course, their favorite hand-picked musical acts.

Pressing Strings, hailing from Annapolis, is a powerhouse trio–led by guitarist and vocalist Jordan Sokel–that has earned a loyal following with their genre-bending blend of blues, rock, and folk, wrapped in soul-stirring storytelling and toe-tapping grooves. Their music resonates with the emotional grit of blues, the laid-back swagger of folk, and the urgency of modern rock. Whether delivering heartfelt ballads or energetic anthems, Pressing Strings weaves lyrical introspection and high-caliber musicianship that feels both fresh and familiar. Sokel’s smokey voice and intricate guitar work is held together tightly by drummer Justin Kruger (an energetic and charismatic performer), and bassist Nick Welker (a solid and stoic figure who picks melodic lines and chordal voicings that make the trio sound full and lush).