Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

In the lineage of string bands who blur the boundaries of American roots music, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem have always been standard-bearers, with a particular knack for pairing words and music. Their signature lockstep harmonies can shake the rafters or hush the room, and their incisive originals, wild card covers and traditional tunes plumb the human condition with infectious joie de vivre. 

Their sound is a mix of New Orleans groove, old-time gospel harmonies, bluesy swing fiddle, fiery electric and acoustic guitar, and junk percussion (which includes a truly funky collection of cardboard boxes, tin cans, caulk tubes, packing-tape tambourines, bottlecap rattles, Mongolian jaw harps, and a vinyl suitcase).

The quartet features Rani Arbo (fiddle, guitar), Andrew Kinsey (bass, banjo, ukulele), Anand Nayak (electric and acoustic guitars) and Scott Kessel (percussion). Their four voices create spine-tingling harmonies, with Kinsey’s and Nayak’s vibrant baritones, Kessel’s resonant bass, and at the helm, Arbo’s “unmistakable voice, both light and sultry, with a hint of tremolo and smoke” (Acoustic Guitar).

...some of the most soul-lifting songs you’ll hear in your life...pure magic happens when these four musicians play together. --No Depression

“From bluegrass barnstormers to sultry swing, old-time gospel to bluesy folk-rock, they consistently turn in lush arrangements with stylish, unexpected choices.” --Acoustic Guitar 

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem dig deep into their collective souls, finding joy in the moment, peace in the harmonies, and rapture in the rhythmic drive. --Hartford Courant

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.