For Lula Wiles, the trio made up of Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland, and Mali Obomsawin, the question “What Will We Do” is central to the creation of their music — and it’s the title of their sophomore album, out in 2019 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. “We wanted to make an album that reflected, in a current way, what we are all staying up late thinking about and talking about over drinks at the dinner table,” says Obomsawin. “What is everyone worried about, confiding in their friends about, losing sleep about?” Anchoring the band’s sharp, provocative songcraft is a mastery of folk music, and a willingness to subvert its hallowed conventions. They infuse their songs with distinctly modern sounds: pop hooks, distorted electric guitars, and dissonant multi-layered vocals, all employed in the service of songs that reclaim folk music in their own voice. The musicians take turns in different roles — Burke and Buckland on guitar and fiddle, Obomsawin on bass, all three singing and writing — but no matter who’s playing what, they operate in close tandem.

All three members grew up in small-town Maine, and the band came of age in Boston’s lively roots scene. In 2016, the band self-released Lula Wiles, a sensitive, twang-tinged collection of originals. Since then, they have toured internationally, winning fans at the Newport Folk Festival and the Philadelphia Folk Festival, garnering acclaim from NPR Music and a Boston Music Awards nomination, and sharing stages with the likes of Aoife O’Donovan, the Wood Brothers, and Tim O’Brien. Lula Wiles exists in the tense space where tradition and revolution meet, from which their harmonies rise into the air to create new American music.

Now, the release of What Will We Do places the group squarely in line with some of its deepest influences, from the protest anthems of Woody Guthrie to the trailblazing songs of Elizabeth Cotten and Hazel Dickens. (Even the band’s name is a twist on an old Carter Family song.) ‘They’re virtuosic musicians, they have a great three-part vocal, and they just have such clarity of perspective and tone of voice and such biting wit. They seem like young women who know their minds and flex their intellects” proclaims Jewly Hight from NPR Music. The me&thee presented Lula Wiles in Fall 2016 and the presenters are thrilled to have them return.

Photo by Cliff Garber

. . .

Oliver Esposito is a multi-instrumentalist. It should be no surprise that in 2018, folk music at its finest is being made by a teenager. Esposito’s music is an acoustic mixture of folk, classical, bluegrass, an unsurprising mixture considering the company this young artist has been keeping. Since childhood, Esposito has shared the stage with a veritable who’s who of the folk/​bluegrass community, including David Grisman, Tim O’Brien, Chris Thile. “I’ve had the great privilege to play with some incredible musicians in my life. Rarely have I come across one who is both virtuosic and profoundly raw and soulful at the same time. I don’t think many people are given either, let alone both. Oliver’s got it.” says Langhorne Slim. Esposito’s latest EP, Ghosts Underneath My Skin touches on issues ranging from gun violence to the refugee situation to growing up queer in America. The record grooves, excites, rocks and fills with memorable melodic hooks.

Photo by Mona Esposito

• This album is a stunning collection of self-penned songs about love, loss, and drinking — the perfect blend of modern and timeless. From rich swells of fiddles to powerful honky-tonk guitar, all anchored by rocking bass, this album delivers one gem after another. In an age where so much music feels trite and phoned in, Lula Wiles emerges with their own unique blend of honest lyrics and gorgeous singing. Do yourselves a favor and listen to this record. Or better yet, see a live show. Aoife O’Donovan
• These young women [. . .] will be a huge force on the Americana music scene for many years to come. The chemistry they bring to the stage is a joy to behold. No Depression
• Lula Wiles are pushing the boundaries of Americana, crafting narrative lyrics that are just as detailed and complex as their tightly woven harmonies. . . . The result is brilliant. Sound of Boston
• An impressive, multi-talented, all-female group featuring tight soaring harmonies, clever songwriting, and an old-timey vibe. Glide Magazine
• A delicate balance between feverous passion and harmonious light and charm and grace. . . . It’s organic and raw in a way that is honest and real. . . . It’s just plain beauty incarnate. Red Line Roots
• . . .
• Oliver Esposito is a brilliant young songwriter whose music moves me. Mary Gauthier
• At 17, Oliver Esposito has shared the stage with David Grisman, Tim O’Brien, Chris Thile, and Amos Lee. B’s EP, Ghosts Underneath my Skin, produced by Neilson Hubbard, touches on issues from gun violence to being queer in America, an audacious debut. We would do well to listen and follow as Oliver shines a flashlight in the dark. Amy Speace, Nashville, TN. April 2018
• Then [Amos ] Lee introduced [Oliver Esposito] to the stage, and in that instant, the lives of everyone in attendance changed for the better. Michael Bialis, Huffington Post
• “I’ve had the great privilege to play with some incredible musicians in my life. Rarely have I come across one who is both virtuosic and profoundly raw and soulful at the same time. I don’t think many people are given either, let alone both. Oliver Esposito’s got it. It’s mind-blowing to watch, spiritually elevating to play along with, and damn exciting to see what this incredible human has in store for us all. Langhorne Slim

• Lula Wiles’s

• Website | Video

• Oliver Esposito’s

• Website | Video | Interview