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Mother Banjo performs at Radio Heartland

Ellen Stanley, aka Mother Banjo
Ellen Stanley, aka Mother BanjoElli Rader
  Play Now [24:36]

by Mike Pengra

October 25, 2018

Mother Banjo - Eyes on the Sky (Live at Radio Heartland)
by MPR
Mother Banjo - Sunny (Live at Radio Heartland)
by MPR
Mother Banjo - Will Your House Be Blessed (Live at Radio Heartland)
by MPR

Ellen Stanley wears many hats in the Twin Cities music community. She heads up the Minnesota Music Coalition — an advocacy group that works with local independent musicians. She's a DJ and hosts Womenfolk, a weekly radio show on KFAI. And she's Mother Banjo. That's the nickname she takes on when she performs.

Ellen and the Mother Banjo Band are releasing a new album this month with a number of original tunes penned by Stanley, and a few well-chosen covers too. It's called Eyes on the Sky, and the release show is Friday, Nov. 2, at the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis.

All six members of the band set up in the Radio Heartland studio to play some tunes and to talk about the new record.

Songs Performed


"Eyes On The Sky"
"Sunny"
"Will Your House Be Blessed"

Personnel


Ellen Stanley - banjo, vocals
Ben Cook-Feltz - keys, vocals
Dan Gaarder - guitar
Jim Parker - mandolin
Erik Paulson - bass
Joe Olsen - drums

Hosted and produced by Mike Pengra
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Visuals by Emmet Kowler

Mother Banjo - official site