Minos The Saint

Minos the Saint is not what you would call a “traditional” southern Louisiana band. Though Baton Rouge is home, the ensemble plays mostly original music, with a variety of influences which yield experimental-yet-accessible original folk rock, uniquely representing Louisiana and the world. Cajun and Zydeco roots are joined by Latin, Jazz, and Eastern European styles, along with the group's shared classical background. Founded in 2013, Minos the Saint uses a variety of timbres including voice, guitar, piano, drums, violin, mandolin, and a brass section, and like the accordion of founding member, Ben Herrington, the band can expand and contract to play to any audience.

“Minos the Saint has channeled their wide range of Louisiana and world influences into a thorough delivery of stunning songs, performances and wholeheartedness.”
-(Jive Flamingo)

Band members include –
Peter Simon on vocals and guitar
Micah Blouin on percussion and vocals
Ben Herrington on accordion, keyboards, and trombone
Joel Willson on violin,mandolin, and vocals
Arisia Gilmore on French horn


Since the band began playing in 2013, it has shared bills with Phosphorescent, Robert Ellis, Wild Child, Brass Bed, Moon Honey, Cardinal Sons, The Brad Walker Quintet, Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands, Mississippi Rail Co., Prom Date, England in 1819, Belle Adair, The Mercy Brothers, and Rareluth.

Throughout the year, Minos the Saint performs at venues across South Louisiana, namely in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette. In 2016, a Peter and Ben were finalists at Eddie's Attic Songwriters competition.

With versatility in size and instrumentation, the band conforms to listening rooms with seating for 50, theaters with a capacity of 300 plus, as well as outdoor venues and festivals. In 2019 Minos the Saint completed their first tour up the Eastern Side of the U.S., stopping in Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Washington D.C, and New York. The tour ended with a performance at Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA. Venue sizes included everything from an intimate dinner cabaret setting to a large outdoor festival space. At home in Louisiana, the band has performed at numerous festivals across the region, including French Quarter Fest, North Gate Fest, Fest For All, Sunday in the Park; as well as many differing venues such as The Varsity Theatre, The Spanish Moon, Gasa Gasa, Artmosphere, The House of Blues, Republic New Orleans, Chickie Wah Wah, Red Dragon Listening Room, The Marigny Opera House, The Allways Lounge, The Hi-Ho, and Cafe Istanbul.


The musicians of Minos the Saint

Front man and guitarist, Simon grew up singing and playing several instruments. He found his creative voice during an extended stay in Spain. His musical calling cards include his first-person lyrical style; his urgent, soulful voice; and the driving yet calculated guitar chops that power the band’s songs.

Multi-instrumentalist Ben Herrington lends fullness to the band with his energy and versatility. He uses the keyboard as both a rhythm and lead instrument, and fills the role usually reserved for bass guitar in more conventional rock bands. He also adds a considerable amount of texture on the accordion and trombone – sometimes while simultaneously sustaining a bass line with nearby foot pedals.

Joel Willson’s violin floats over the entire band as a lead guitarist might, descending at intervals to add flourishes of excitement, anxiety or lament.

Percussionist Micah Blouin provides a strong rhythmic foundation, with the ability to interact with and elaborate on the many styles the other members throw at him.

The band’s symphonic style brass section, led by hornist, Arisia Gilmore, is comprised of Trumpet, French Horn, and Trombone or Tenor Sax, adding an entirely new set of colors to the palette and bringing warmth to the band’s arrangements. This unique brass section completes the auditory imagery of the “Chamber” portion of Minos the Saint’s self described genre “Chamber Folk” music.


The Completely Un-True, but Completely Fun Story of Minos the Saint


Every nine years, King Minos had a dozen plus young spirits cast into his famed labyrinth to feed the Minotaur, a metaphor of man vs wild manifest into a horrific monster. Of course, we only know this story because of the heroics that led the youngsters back out, newly wizened with the Knowledge of the Maze. In that way, Minos gave them the greatest of gifts.

One does not really know the members of Baton Rouge's Minos the Saint survived the beast, but one quick listen reveals their mastery of the labyrinthine. A chamber-folk group, if you must, Minos the Saint is a windswept charm assault, a romantic tornado of violins and accordions, French horns and trombones and guitar, the heart of the beast cast into the heavens as a sonic constellation. They are very good.

If one must grasp for comparisons, they are like Simon and Garfunkle at their most intricate amended to include Antonio Jobim and Philip Glass and Van Dyke Parks and maybe a wizard. A handsome wizard with a past and a future in your heart.

One does not really know the members of Baton Rouge's Minos the Saint survived the beast, but one quick listen reveals their mastery of the labyrinthine. A chamber-folk group, if you must, Minos the Saint is a windswept charm assault, a romantic tornado of violins and accordions, French horns and trombones and guitar, the heart of the beast cast into the heavens as a sonic constellation. They are very good.

Since their inception in 2013, Minos the Saint has contracted to occupy intimate rooms and expanded to fill riotous halls, sharing bills with Phosphorescent, Wild Child, Brass Bed, Cardinal Sons, The Brad Walker Quintet, Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands, Mississippi Rail Co., Belle Adair, The Mercy Brothers, Rareluth, and others. The band has performed at venues across the South such as Varsity Theatre, The Spanish Moon, Gasa Gasa, Artmosphere, House of Blues, Republic New Orleans, Chickie Wah Wah, Red Dragon Listening Room, Marigny Opera House, The AllWays Lounge, and Cafe Istanbul, and festivals such as French Quarter Fest, North Gate Fest, FestForAll, and Sunday in the Park

If one must grasp for comparisons, they are like Simon and Garfunkle at their most intricate amended to include Antonio Jobim and Philip Glass and Van Dyke Parks and maybe a wizard. A handsome wizard with a past and a future in your heart.