Oyo

Marietta, OH

Gathered around a single mic, Oyo’s high-energy performances are equal parts honky-tonk and barn dance, with an indie rock undercurrent. Born on the banks of the Ohio River, the six-piece Appalachian roots band formed from jam sessions in the back of Marietta’s JustAJar Design Press. Featuring traditional acoustic instrumentation, driving rhythm, and poignant lyricism, Oyo trades off lead vocals between Aaron Martin (fiddle, mandolin), Cole Adair (guitar), and Michael Bond (guitar, keys, harmonica, spoons), with Bobby Rosenstock (banjo), Drew Tanner (bass), and Joe Ryckebosch (drums, washboard) joining in. Oyo take their name from the Iroquois word for the Ohio, meaning “beautiful river.” Like that big muddy river, Oyo is fed by many influences and tributaries upstream: folk, bluegrass, old-school country, and rock & roll.