Debutants

Saturday, 6/22 – 8:45pm on The Hill Stage

Formed by longtime friends, Lynn Nicholson and Jon Swain, Debutants have evolved into a
formidable string band with eclectic influences ranging from traditional folk, bluegrass, and Irish
music, to classic and indie rock, rockabilly, jam bands, and anything else they feel like playing.
Regardless of genre, what always manages to come through loud and clear, whether in-studio or on
stage, is the amount of fun they’re having playing together, and the vibrant life breathed into their
music.

Nicholson and Swain share the role of lead singer/songwriter for the group, with much collaboration
in each song’s development. On their 2021 debut release, Indiana Newgrass – EP, Debutants went
into the studio with banjoist Michael Earl Newsome, fiddle player Sean Hoffman (Goldmine Pickers,
The Goat’s Beards, Soltré), and bassist/vocalist Colin Taylor (Uncle Muscle, Hillbilly Casino). Also
highly instrumental in capturing their original sound, was recording engineer and producer Tyler
Thompson (Fruition, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Jay Cobb Anderson) at his Studio 110 in
Pittsburgh, PA. For their 2022 sophomore release, Nobody Knows – EP, the band unquestionably
returned to Thompson’s Studio 110, this time bringing Lauren Blair on fiddle/vocals, and Ellen
Coplin on cello/vocals. Their songwriting growth became evident on titles such as Nicholson’s ‘Hard
to Say’, along with increases in tempos and instrumental prowess demonstrated on pieces like
Swain’s ‘Never Thought I’d Be the One’.