The Blackbird Pie Stringband

The Blackbird Pie Stringband is a driving family band with an old-time-inspired folk sound based in Roanoke, Virginia. Their haunting original music is written by Elsa Howell, a traditional Appalachian ballad singer and teacher. Isak Howell (banjo) and Chris Howell (bass), Elsa's parents, have always been her biggest supporters and teachers, and continue to support her on stage. Isak's experience playing with the Black Twig Pickers, a band known for its contemporary interpretations of old-time music, shaped Elsa's childhood and music education. For many years, Isak and Elsa performed as a duo, competing at fiddlers conventions and playing local venues in southwest Virginia. In 2024, they finally recruited Chris to join them on stage after Elsa released her first EP, Eyes Wide, and they have been gigging together ever since. In 2025, Blackbird Pie welcomed Alaina Krakowiak, a Tennesee-born fiddler, to the group. As a four piece, the group spent 2026 working on their upcoming album and playing on stages across their native region.