Posted on 12th Jan 2017
Abigail Washburn - clawhammer banjo, vocals
Kai Welch - producer, multi-instrumentalist, vocals
Wu Fei - guzheng, vocals
Wu /无 = without, nothing, nothingness
January 27, the day before the Lunar New Year, marks the release of the debut EP by The Wu-Force, the self-described kung fu-Appalachian-indie-folk-rock trio of banjo, guzheng (Chinese zither) and keyboards. Inspired by Chinese opera, garage rock, old Shanghai jazz and Appalachian hymns, these very different musicians from very different backgrounds are united by a shared vision of a world, where differences unite instead of divide.
Born in 2010, out of an evening of conversation, imbibing, and musical improvisation in a Beijing apartment, three friends - clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn, AM pop maestro / multi-instrumentalist Kai Welch and Wu Fei, Beijing-born guzheng virtuoso and Tzadik recording artist – adapted to one another's diverse sounds and discovered that they felt similarly wary of trends in globalization, urbanization, and technology.
Produced by Welch, the Wu-Force EP tells stories of the struggle to connect in the face of divisive forces, with music they hope can speak to people of any walk of life, in any culture around the world. Pre-order for the EP is coming soon!
For a sneak-peak, tune in tonight to the Paul Burch Show's 8 PM block on WXNA to listen to their new single 'Paper Lanterns': http://www.wxnafm.org/newstoo/