The Carolina Cutups

One of the most exciting live acts in North Carolina, the Carolina Cutups specialize in what fiddler Tim Wells called “punk bluegrass.” They play loud, fast, and rowdy, with a reckless abandon that disregards technical precision for feeling and impact. “We stumble occasionally,” says Wells with a laugh. “We can get out over our skis sometimes, because we’re not too focused on getting it perfect.” For this multigenerational group—which includes guitarist Dave Henderson, banjo player Matthew Rubin, and bassist Spencer Woodman—punk is a means of keeping their music in the present tense, of acknowledging tradition without becoming beholden to it.

The Cutups are all inventive players, but no one is hellbent on soloing or showing off. Rooted in gospel, old-time, country, and even jazz, their music is less about individual showmanship and more about their rip-roaring group dynamic. “There are a lot of super-hot bluegrass pickers who can blow everybody’s mind, and we’re not that,” says Wells. “We’re more interested in getting people’s toes tapping. We’re out to get an audience on their feet and dancing and having fun. So we really focus on the singing and the harmonies.”

While the Cutups have only been playing together for a few years, the roots of the band reach back nearly three decades. Wells was just starting his long career as an educator, teaching fifth grade when the other three Cutups stumbled into my class. “I taught them math, and then a couple of them stayed in my homeroom for three or four years, all the way through eighth grade. Then they all went off into the world and did their own things in China and New York and Chicago.”

One by one, however, the boys returned to North Carolina, where they reconnected and formed the band during the pandemic. They started playing the outdoor stage at the Kraken, a roadhouse near Chapel Hill, but were determined to play their punk bluegrass in different settings: festivals, weddings, block parties, picnics, school events, anywhere with a crowd. “It’s not just smoky barrooms. We like to take it out to where the people are. Connecting with the audience is the best part of this job. That’s part of the punk attitude: let’s just play and get people dancing, and it won’t matter if every note is right.” – Stephen Deusner