“The May be Fern story started before any of us knew we could pursue music as a career. Hannah and Kate came together through multiple mutual connections constantly suggesting we do something musical together after hearing us perform individually.”

The four musicians of May be Fern are fresh on the Evergreen music scene, and it is a welcome freshness, with youthful energy, eclectic style and eager voices to liven up all the best local haunts with something new. “We are here to bring a new sound to Evergreen and to the world. We are creating something never seen or heard before.”

The group espouses a respect for the musical canon, covering the songs you know, but with the perspective of modern day artists performing for the sake of performing—a calling often lost on the more brooding musical set. Hannah, on keys, guitar and mandolin, says being a performer is the best feeling in the world and can’t imagine spending her time any other way. Kate, vocalist and bassist, started her time in the spotlight in musical theater, where she worked professionally for a decade.

“It took us one session of singing and playing to realize we had found something very special. Once we played out, we knew we had something that would be bigger than we could have imagined.”

Madi, a left-handed guitarist, adds a punchy, funky edge to the group, complimented by Carleen on drums with a musical style that takes inspiration from orchestral pieces, jazz, musical theater and indie pop. The band’s catalog spans genres because their backgrounds are so varied: their musical experience plus educational and professional skills in instrument repair, wildlife conservation and computational biology and engineering. “We finally played our first few songs together and were perplexed by the musical talent we all shared in unique ways. The beauty of our style is the different tastes in music and art from each member of May be Fern.”

The music speaks for itself: May be Fern is a foursome of talented individuals, with interests and abilities that refuse to compete against one another, rather, blend into a cool, organic tone. “We want to classify our sound as funk and rock, yet we excel in other genres too. May be Fern is all over the map in this way—pop, rock, funk, blues, classical, jazz—you name it. May be Fern is the culmination of our different musical inspirations. We come together as one sound.” 

Having serendipitously formed and found that unique sound, May be Fern is debuting their full group project on April 23 at Evergreen’s Got Talent, the showcase in which participants vie for a spot at the long-loved Summer Concert Series at Evergreen Lake.

In the meantime, the band’s active Instagram and TikTok accounts provide hints of what is to come, full of photos and videos of musical covers, band rehearsals, and a display of their unique style. “Music is a core characteristic of every member of the band, and our unique styles allow us to express that passion with another medium. Because music is so embodied for each member of the band, external expression becomes an extension of our musical expression.”

Much like the group has come from broad backgrounds boiled into common points of interest, May be Fern is excited to add diversity to the mountain area music scene. “We are fully immersed in the music community and enjoy collaborating and conversing with Evergreen’s large population of musicians.” They are even planning a foray into this

aesthetic with their upcoming event, Fern Fest, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Music Exchange and Room A Records (details to follow soon).

You can get the full scoop plus a regularly updated calendar and links to social accounts at maybefernband.co.