The Down Hill Strugglers

Lore & Background

Eli Smith and Walker Shepard met while at the home of Peter Stampfel of The Holy Modal Rounders, where they also met John Cohen of The New Lost City Ramblers. They met fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Lynch at the folk music club, the Jalopy Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. Smith has produced his own podcast and blog called 'Down Home Radio' dedicated to folk music, and has founded two festivals: The Brooklyn Folk Festival and The Washington Square Park Folk Festival.

The band's style is influenced by rural old-time traditions of Appalachia, the Deep South, and the Western States. They have met with individuals such as banjo player Pat Conte, Alice Gerrard, Clyde Davenport, and the late fiddler Joe Thompson. Over their career, they have toured across the United States and Europe and appeared at numerous festivals encouraging preservation of folk life and music. In 2010, they received a special invitation from the US Embassy in Sofia to represent American folk music at the Bourgas International Folklore Festival and to be showcased at the Apollonia Festival of the Arts in Sozopol.

Reader's Guide

The Down Hill Strugglers, originally the Dust Busters, represent a continuation of the old-time string band tradition rooted in rural American music. Their significance lies in their role as cultural ambassadors, having been invited by the US Embassy in Sofia in 2010 to represent American folk music at international festivals in Bulgaria. They have performed at the Dock Boggs festival in Virginia and alongside John Cohen at the Woodstock Film Festival. Their discography includes albums on Smithsonian Folkways and Jalopy Records, and their 2012 album 'Old Man Below' won the Independent Music Award for Best Bluegrass Album. By appearing on radio shows such as WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour and KEXP 90.3 FM, and through Smith's 'Down Home Radio' podcast and festivals, they have worked to introduce old-time music to a younger generation. Their legacy is tied to the preservation and dissemination of Appalachian, Deep South, and Western States folk traditions.

Did You Know?

• The band changed its name from the Dust Busters to the Down Hill Strugglers in 2012 when Jackson Lynch replaced Craig Judelman.
• Eli Smith founded both the Brooklyn Folk Festival and the Washington Square Park Folk Festival in New York City.
• In 2010, the band was invited by the US Embassy in Sofia to represent American folk music at the Bourgas International Folklore Festival.
• Their album 'Old Man Below' (2012) won the Independent Music Award for Best Bluegrass Album.

Origins & Formation

The Down Hill Strugglers trace their roots to Brooklyn, New York, where the trio first took shape in 2008 under the name Dust Busters. The band's founding story is steeped in the folk community's personal connections. Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Eli Smith and banjo player Walker Shepard first crossed paths at the home of Peter Stampfel, the frontman of The Holy Modal Rounders. That same gathering introduced them to John Cohen of The New Lost City Ramblers, a figure who would later become a significant presence in their career. The original third member was Craig Judelman, but in 2012 he departed the group. His place was filled by Jackson Lynch, a fiddler and multi-instrumentalist whom Smith and Shepard had first encountered at the Jalopy Theatre, a Brooklyn folk music venue. That personnel shift coincided with the band rebranding itself as the Down Hill Strugglers, a name that stuck for the rest of their recording career. The trio's early identity was thus forged not in a rehearsal studio but through the warm, communal networks that have long defined American folk music.

Musical Style & Community

The Down Hill Strugglers build their sound on the deep roots of rural American old-time music, drawing from Appalachian traditions, the musical heritage of the Deep South, and the string-band traditions of the Western States. Rather than treating these traditions as museum pieces, the trio positions itself as a bridge, actively working to introduce the folk idiom to younger listeners. Their commitment to the broader folk community extends well beyond the stage. Eli Smith maintains a podcast and blog called Down Home Radio, dedicated to showcasing folk music sounds. He also founded two New York City festivals—the Brooklyn Folk Festival and the Washington Square Park Folk Festival—specifically to promote old-time music in the urban landscape. The band has cultivated relationships with veteran players including banjoist Pat Conte, Alice Gerrard, Clyde Davenport, and the late fiddler Joe Thompson. Each member covers a wide range of instruments: Shepard handles vocals, guitar, banjo, bantar, and fiddle; Lynch plays vocals, fiddle, and guitar; and Smith adds vocals, guitar, banjo, manjo, bantar, harmonica, and autoharp to the mix.

Touring & International Recognition

Since their early days, the trio has toured extensively across the United States and Europe, performing at festivals dedicated to preserving folk life and music. One of their most notable international moments came in 2010, when the US Embassy in Sofia extended a special invitation for them to represent American folk music at the Bourgas International Folklore Festival. They were also showcased at the Apollonia Festival of the Arts in Sozopol, Bulgaria. Back in the States, the band played the Dock Boggs festival in Norton, Virginia in 2010 and was invited to return the following year. They also performed at the Woodstock Film Festival, appearing alongside John Cohen during a screening of his documentary Roscoe Holcomb: From Daisy Kentucky. Their music has reached audiences through radio as well: they have been featured on WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, with recordings still archived on the WoodSongs website, and on KEXP 90.3 FM, where they appeared alongside John Cohen. These appearances underscore the band's role as both performers and ambassadors for the old-time tradition.

Discography & Critical Recognition

The band's catalog spans from their 2009 debut, recorded under the Dust Busters name, through their 2024 release Old Juniper on Jalopy Records. Early albums include Prohibition is a Failure (2010) and Old Man Below (2012), the latter released on the prestigious Smithsonian Folkways label. That album earned the trio the Independent Music Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2013, a significant validation of their craft. In 2013 they also contributed to the Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack, released on Nonesuch, placing their old-time string-band sound within a major cinematic context. Subsequent releases include Home Recordings Vol. 1 (2013), Show Me The Way to Go Home (2014), and Lone Prairie (2017) on Jalopy Records. The span from 2009 to 2024 reveals a group that has maintained a steady creative output while evolving their sound. Their discography, combined with festival appearances and radio features, paints a picture of a band deeply embedded in the folk music ecosystem, consistently producing work that honors tradition while reaching new audiences.

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