Barefoot Nellies

The Nellies “turn any gig into one big, whoopin’ bluegrass party.”
– Chuck Poling, Bluegrass Breakdown

SFBOTF 2009. Photo by Mike Melnyk.

Though the Nellies often joke that they play “traditional bluegrass, just a fifth higher,” they constantly push those boundaries to include elements of classic honky-tonk and Western swing to get their driving, energetic sound. Grounded by the lush duo and trio vocals, these gals take their picking far beyond the “girl group” label, with Betsy Maudlin’s hot Texas-inspired fiddling, Jess Beebe’s thumping bass, and Prentice Sellers’ powerful banjo playing. Their repertoire includes plenty of chestnuts from Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, and Jimmy Martin, as well as country-inspired originals by mandolin player Nicole Solis and well-chosen covers by Lyle Lovett, George Strait, and even Nancy Sinatra.

The Nellies have headlined festivals including the Anderson Marsh Old-Time and Bluegrass Festival in Clearlake, California, and have shared the bill with national touring artists such as Hot Buttered Rum String Band. In 2007, they drew a packed crowd to the Vern’s stage at the California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Festival and were selected to be one of four bands in the Emerging Artists competition at Bluegrassin’ in the Foothills in Plymouth, California.

Since January 2006, they have graced the stage at Amnesia in San Francisco on the fourth Monday of every month as part of the wildly popular Bluegrass Monday series. They released their first CD, Let Me Down Easy: Live at Amnesia, in 2008.

Nellies in the News

“With a sound that’s something of a cross between Loretta Lynn and Flatt & Scruggs, the Nellies’ blend of harmony vocals and inspired guitar- and banjo-pickin’ is rich enough to churn butter, and recommended by four out of five cowpokes as a cure for the lonesome blues.”
– Eric K. Arnold, “Arts & Culture: Bluegrass Bellies,” East Bay Express, August 31, 2005.

“Monday nights just wouldn’t be complete without the Barefoot Nellies…. The Nellies serve up a mix of classic honky tonk, Texas fiddling and swing just in time to get over the mid-week hump.”
– Christina Troup,”The best of modern bluegrass tunes,” San Francisco Examiner, January 30, 2008.

“O Shoes, Where Art Thou?: Barefoot Nellies ‘ain’t your mother’s bluegrass band’” Matt Kramer, Pacific Sun, January 19, 2007.

Meet the Nellies

Jess Beebe, bass
Six-foot-two, blonde, a voluptuous 55″-46″-70″…that’s Fiona, the 1973 Engelhardt Swingmaster bass that fills out the Nellies’ bottom end (we call Fiona the sixth Nellie). When Jess first picked up Fiona after playing guitar for many years, she knew she had found her (musical) true love. Jess enjoys the challenge of laying down a solid rhythmic foundation in the traditional bluegrass style. She also plays with an informal band composed entirely of her extended family.

Betsy Maudlin, fiddle
Hauled off to classical violin lessons at a young age, Betsy moonlighted on the East Coast, playing venues ranging from the subway to Carnegie Hall. She then dipped her foot in bluegrass’s waters and decided to throw herself in headfirst. In addition to playing with the Nellies, she has sat in with local Bay Area bands the Shut-Ins, West of Kentucky, Homespun Rowdy, and Lone Mountain. She was a finalist in the 2005 Western Open Fiddle Contest, has performed as part of the Bluegrass in the Schools program, entertains children of all ages in the Toodala Ramblers, and blends traditional and progressive bluegrass in the Folkslayers of Yore.

Prentice Sellers, banjo and vocals
After discovering bluegrass and the banjo in the mid-1990s, Prentice devoted herself to mastering the banjo, and her melodic breaks and relentless rolls are key to the Nellies driving sound. She has learned nearly every tenor, lead, and baritone part to hundreds of traditional bluegrass songs, and fills in the Nellies trio with her strong baritone and lead vocals. Prentice also plays in Lone Mountain with her sister Cameron Laughlin and their husbands, Jeff Dasovich and Scott Laughlin.

Nicole Solis, mandolin and vocals
At one time the rhythm guitarist and lead singer with the Acme All-Purpose Swing Band (Portland, Oregon), Nicole picked the occasional fiddle tune in the privacy of her own home until she traded the rain for fog and immersed herself in the Bay Area bluegrass scene. She switched from guitar to mandolin and brings a solid chop, traditional-sounding breaks, and powerful tenor, lead, and occasional baritone vocals to the Nellies. Nicole has performed for elementary school students in the Bluegrass in the Schools program and played electric guitar in country band the Local 44s.

And sitting in on guitar…

We’ve been playing with some of the finest guitar players in the Bay Area for the past year, so let’s give credit where credit is due. Here are some of our favorite adjunct Nellies, subs, and Barefoot Nelsons.

Molly Tuttle
One of the Bay Area’s rising stars in bluegrass, old-time, and pretty much any other style she plays, Molly plays with her brothers as the Tuttle Kids and with Angelica Grim and others in the School of Bluegrass. She recently recorded a CD with her dad, Jack, called The Old Apple Tree. Molly sits in with the Nellies on non-school nights when she can; her emotional vocals, tasteful flatpicking, and energetic rhythm guitar perfectly complement the Nellies sound.

Mary Gibbons
One of the finest rhythm guitar players in the Bay Area, Mary Gibbons has been playing bluegrass and country music for more than 20 years, playing, touring, and recording with The All-Girl Boys, Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals, and the Fog City Ramblers. Mary currently plays in the Mike Stadler and Mary Gibbons Band and occasionally lends her soulful singing and powerful rhythm to the Nellies.

Yvonne Wahlbroehl
Originally from Virginia, Yvonne lends a little Southern cred to the Nellies’ sound, as well as a powerful, bluesy voice and strong guitar playing to match. After moving to the Bay Area, Yvonne joined forces with Larry Carlin and Claudia Hampe to form The Warblers. After short stints with the Twisted Oaks and the Prune Rooney Band, Yvonne became a founding member of Cabin Fever.

And our current roster of Barefoot Nelsons: Joe Kenny, Jon McNeill, and Adam Roszkiewicz.