Growing up in Iowa, Jacob first learned of traditional music from his mother, a native of Kentucky who played the banjo in the old style. It was from this heritage that he became interested in the music of the Isles and the music and songs that were brought here and flourished in Appalachia. It’s this love of ballad and song that forms the basis of Sweet William.
Jacob has toured as a solo artist for a decade, first as a singer songwriter before becoming a documentarian and singer of old songs. His work has been to preserve this heritage of music. He has performed with the likes of Dom Flemons, JD Wilkes, Sarah Wood, Matt Kinman and Clifton Hicks. His instrument repertoire includes banjo, fiddle, guitar, whistle and bohdran and he is ever working to expand upon that list.
Jacob currently resides in Ohio
Eileen O’Connor
When Eileen's younger brother was one her mother took him to the doctor to see if he was okay because he was “not singing yet.” So she can safely say that she has been singing almost her whole life. It wasn't until a re-enacting kitchen party in 2017 that she began to sing in front of people. She's known in that community as a "sweet sad singer of sweet sad songs." She subsequently fell in love with, and began primarily singing, ballads though she is interested in a wide range of traditional forms of music.
Fast-forward to 2019 and Eileen decided once and for all she was going to do something about the banjo that she bought in 2008. She attended Cowan Creek Mountain Music School which changed her musical life. She plunged into learning the banjo with her typical zeal for the things she's interested in and has studied with the likes of Carla Gover, Montana Hobbs, Sue Massek, John Haywood, and Jesse Wells. In 2021 she added fiddle to her repertoire and is studying under John Harrod.
Eileen currently resides in Ohio.