Durango is popular for its bluegrass scene and has several local bluegrass bands. One of Durango’s local bluegrass bands is the StillHouse Junkies.
On Saturday, StillHouse Junkies headlined a show at the Animas City Theatre to promote their first extended play record as a trio, “Hillbilly Poetry.” The group has played at the ACT several times as an opening act, but this was their first time headlining the theatre.
The trio consists of Fred Kosak on guitar and mandolin, Alissa Wolf on fiddle, and Cody Tinnin on bass and banjo.
StillHouse Junkies released one album in the past, “Over the Pass” in 2018. At that time, StillHouse Junkies was a quartet.
The EP is five songs, Tinnin said. The band wanted to release an EP before a full length album to get something out and establish their new sound as a trio, Wolf said.
Though the StillHouse Junkies have only been publishing music for the last year, Wolf and Tinnin grew up in the La Plata area have been making music since they were kids.
Tinnin said he started learning bass specifically for bluegrass, while Wolf took classical violin lessons.
Kosak moved to Durango from Boston in 2016, he said.
“The people in Boston seem harder to get through and connect to,” Kosak said. “Here there’s more of a supportive energy, and it feels like we’re getting something back by playing music. That seems to be the Colorado mentality.”
Since there is such a rich Bluegrass community in Durango, StillHouse junkies seems to fit in well and gain a lot of support, Tinnin said.
“As a band in Durango, we’re really lucky to play in this genre,” Tinnin and Wolf said. “Colorado is a great market for this type of music.”
The bluegrass culture in Durango has grown a lot over time, Wolf said. It seems to be a social culture, as a way to connect to people and make friends.
The three musicians are also lesson instructors at the iAM MUSIC institution in Durango.
“Maybe someday we’ll stop teaching lessons and just make a living off of playing gigs,” Kosak said.