Longtime Friend

The Wildmans are a brother sister led band. The tale of this duo’s journey starts early when sister and brother Aila and Eli Wildman were at the mere ages of 5 and 7. The siblings were born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, a veritable hotbed of old-time, bluegrass and all ilks of mountain music. The Wildmans first started touring locally with their mom Deb on bass under the name of the Blackberries. As they entered their teens, the siblings branched out to form their own band with a host of different bandmates and Eli sharing equal time on the guitar, eventually recording their first self-titled release and performing at beloved festivals throughout the area. As soon as they were old enough to drive they have been venturing across the country, delighting new audiences and taking home first place in band competitions at Freshgrass in North Adams, Massachusetts, and the storied Rockygrass in Lyons, Colorado, while simultaneously honing their chops at the Berklee College of Music. Along the way they have shared the stage with Billy Strings, Bela Fleck, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Oliver Wood, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle, Dori Freeman and many others. With their latest record, Longtime Friend, The Wildmans are showcasing their musicianship and honoring their craft while expanding and improvising on a base of traditional American roots music. This is the core of The Wildmans set and sound.