Founded in 2021, North Fork Crossing has quickly made its presence known all around Montana, most notably in the beautiful Gallatin Valley where they live. The quintet — Cade Slayden (guitar), Ryan Kelly (mandolin), Rabi Phelan (upright bass), Silas Rea (fiddle), and Matt Hickey (banjo) — are drawn to having Bluegrass reach a younger generation, priding themselves on their unique sound as the evolution of string band music.

By playing many shows in Montana as well as touring across Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, they have been able to grow their audience to a wide range of listeners — consisting of Traditional Bluegrass lovers to die-hard Jam Band enthusiasts. They reside somewhere in a strange untapped realm between these genres as well as Psychedelic Rock, Americana, and Folk. 

North Fork Crossing has recently released their debut, self-titled album. North Fork Crossing (2024) explores the Bozeman band’s origins, consisting of songs played live since their inception. This includes original fiddle tunes, high-paced exploratory bluegrass, and ballads focused on songwriting and precision. Although they are known for their live performances, the album is a well-rounded and powerful introduction to the band’s studio work.