Strong Water

Like a good shot of its namesake, Strong Water is smooth with a bite. The Americana/folk band first formed in 2013 as a duo on the campus of James Madison University, eventually taking multiple iterations, but the longest lasting lineup consisted of founder Greg Brennan (guitars, vocals), Evan Hunsberger (drums, vocals), JJ Arey (fiddle, vocals), Tim Cannon (banjo), and producer Chad Altenberger (who also played bass guitar live for the project). In 2014, Strong Water released their first EP Aftermath. Buoyed by their community's response and their newfound synergy as a four-piece, Strong Water independently funded, recorded and released a 14-track, self-titled album in 2016. The debut album brought about touring opportunities across the Mid-Atlantic region, where Strong Water opened for bands, like The SteelDrivers, Judah & the Lion and The Black Lillies. In 2018, their sophomore album Bearfoot was released with single “If I Was” receiving regional radio play, international press, and has since exceeded 2 million streams on Spotify. Their music has been featured on independent radio stations, tastemakers and periodicals like Americana Rhythm, Americana Highways, Americana Music Magazine and AmericanaUK, who described Bearfoot as “a perfectly executed and wonderfully diverse record from a group whose way is only up.” Their third album The Hills was released April 29, 2022. Written during the pandemic and recorded by Three Arrows Sound, the album explores the changes the band has experienced over the past eight years. Lyrics are inspired by life’s opposites — anticipation and nostalgia, love and loss, courage and fear — and by the beauty of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.