About

Origin stories aren’t only for superheroes.

For years, Denver, Colorado has been one of several critical loci of American roots music. For many, Denver is ground zero. Mecca. The place to be. It’s against this backdrop that Strings and the Box emerged.

The beginning of the story is familiar territory; friends coming together to play music. But that simple project for Dan Kamis (guitar) and Ryan Allen (mandolin) turned into something more once they realized they had a secret weapon; a wrinkle that would take the idea of the string band to the next level: Jose Mascaro A native of Peru, Mascaro’s mastery of the cajon (a Peruvian box drum) leaves audiences slack-jawed. It also provided foundational percussion with a strong Latin influence that would transform the band’s sound.

Strings and the Box continued to expand its sound by adding a young gun Dobro player in Evan Hoatson. Veterans of the Denver music scene Kurt Hunsinger (banjo) and Marcos Garza(bass) soon joined, completing the band’s current lineup. With five different singers and songwriters, Strings and the Box boasts a diverse musical palette the combines bluegrass instrumentation, Latin rhythms, and rock sensibilities. The band isn’t afraid to explore the improvisational side of music, delivering live performances that simultaneously feel familiar and refreshingly new.