Stereo Naked is the unique encounter between Pierce Black’s New Zealand double bass and Julia Zech’s delicate banjo. Together, they craft a minimalist, intimate and quirky folk, born in the heart of Cologne’s bluegrass scene. After touring across the whole of Europe – from Ireland to Lithuania – and covering thousands of miles, their third album Upside Down was released in 2024.
Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for the German Critics’ Prize and received a warm reception in the UK, notably on the BBC. On stage, their complicity hits the spot: disarming charm, dry humour and hand-crafted songs that tell simple but touching stories. Stereo Naked takes bluegrass off the beaten track and opens it up to a wider audience, without artifice or posturing. It’s raw, sincere, and it works.
For their concert at the Polysons Festival, they will be joined by Joon Laukamp and Nathan Bontrager, exceptional partners in crime who enrich their musical world without ever betraying the “bare” essence of the project.
Julia Zech (banjo, vocals), Pierce Black (double bass, vocals), Joon Laukamp (fiddle, mandolin, mandole), Nathan Bontrager (nyckelharpa, cello)
