About the band

The Bad Oats are a progressive string band based out of Nashville.  Since they formed in 2019, they have been making a name for themselves in the Roots Music Community, performing at festivals and stages around the country, including The Fresh Grass Festival and The Ossipee Valley Music Festival. They are the winners of the 2021 Telefunken Band Competition at The Podunk Bluegrass Festival.

Their debut full length album, The Other Side of Love, showcases the band’s diverse range of influences while displaying their strong foundation in American Roots music.  On the album, which features seven original songs, one can hear echoes of artists as diverse as Crooked Still, Del McCoury, Buck Owens, The Rolling Stones, and Billie Eilish.  The Other Side of Love is out now.  

Meet The Oats

  • Lucy Singleton

    Raised at bluegrass festivals, Lucy Singleton has music in her veins. When she's not barefoot playing with dogs, she can often be found singing the music of her favorites, such as Del McCoury, The Seldom Scene, Led Zeppelin, Elvis, The Milk Carton Kids - really whatever suits her mood that day.

  • Charlie Fuertsch

    Charlie Jack Fuertsch grew up in Northern Utah, listening to the music of the Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers. After hearing Tony Rice as a teenager, he became obsessed with Bluegrass guitar. He lived in New York City for several years, where he played locally with several bands in the bluegrass scene. In addition to playing with the Bad Oats, Charlie leads a country band and plays as a sideman for several other artists.

  • Sam Powers

    Since Sam Powers picked up the Mandolin as a teenager, he has been obsessed with Jazz, Bluegrass, and just about everything mandolin related he could find. Growing up in Chicago, Sam has played in a number of Midwest based bands and toured as the mandolin player in Julian Davis and the Situation.

  • Graham Northrop

    Graham Northrom has been playing the banjo since he was 12. In 2014, he won the Utah State Instrument Championships in the open banjo division. Since 2012, he has played in several bluegrass and indie folk bands. He is also a producer, as well as a mixing and mastering engineer.

  • Evan Kesel

    Born in New York City and raised in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Evan Kesel is a 2020 graduate of Berklee College of Music where he was a four-year recipient of a National Performance Tour Scholarship. Evan has played with groups across a broad range of genres including jazz, musical theater, rock, and country.

  • Hazel Royer

    Hazel Royer is a Boston musician that primarily is an upright bassist, guitarist, and singer. She plays a variety of styles including Folk, Jazz, Old-Time, Bluegrass, Rock, and Blues. Hazel is currently studying upright bass music performance at Berklee College of Music, where she is in her 3rd year. Hazel grew up playing folk and bluegrass music in the Boston music scene with her father, Eric Royer.