Mad Agnes

https://madagnes.com

Mad Agnes is a musical ensemble that's inspired by the inclusive spirit of folk music, without being tied down by limited conceptions of the genre's possibilities.

The group's imaginations and musical abilities range far beyond any "three chords and a simple tune" summation of folk music, featuring intertwining instrumental passages and an inventive approach to vocal harmony that's more Bach than Kingston Trio.

Likewise, Mad Agnes is animated by a fervent love of language and lyrical expression, with a deep catalog of dozens of songs that invite listeners to connect with a wildly diverse range of topics and concepts.

In their current iteration, Mad Agnes uses primarily one microphone around which they form and re-form, early-radio style. Their ease with one another on stage invites the audience into their world of human connection and spontaneous fun. Well-crafted instrumentation – using guitars, mandolin, ukulele, piano, melodica, an inventive keyboard and three-part harmonies as tight as jeans from the dryer – enthralls audiences again and again. Mad Agnes’ latest recording, Likely Story, released on Feb. 1, 2024, is currently being played on radio stations nationally.

Mad Agnes has performed internationally at listening rooms and festivals, including The Greenwich Village Folk Festival (on-line), The Kerrville Folk Festival (TX), Mountain Stage New Songs Festival (WV), The Birchmere (VA), The Frick Pittsburgh (PA), The Forksville Folk Festival, The Sellersville Theatre, Bethlehem Musikfest and Godfrey Daniels (PA), The Bitter End and the Towne Crier (NY), Old Settlers Inn (KS), WFMT’s Live Stage (IL), Cedarburg Cultural Center (WI), Sunrise Civic Center Theater (FL), University of Hartford and Cheney Hall (CT), The Ark (MI), and First nights Morristown (NJ), Northampton (MA), Worcester (MA), Cropredy Festival (England), Swanage Folk Festival (England) and Fylde Folk Festival (England), at private events and a gaggle of house concerts. Mad Agnes was also honored to be formal main stage artists at the SW-2007 and NE-2004 Regional Folk Alliance Conferences.

“If you’ve been struggling to find a link back to that addictive sound of progressive/alternative folk groups like Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and Renaissance, listen up…Mad Agnes recreates with authenticity many of the musical qualities that adored us to those aforementioned groups. It’s definitely magic.” Robert Linquist, Singer Magazine

“Dazzling harmonies, superb arrangements, terrific instrumental virtuosity, brilliant original songs and fine treatments of other material… there really aren’t enough superlatives to describe one of the best evenings I’ve seen in the many years I have been involved in the Folk scene.” Folk on the Moor, Devon, UK