The Petersens


The Petersens are an American bluegrass family band from Branson, Missouri.

Band history

The Petersen children grew up playing music together, but first heard bluegrass in 2003 at the Gettysburg bluegrass festival. The band was formed and had their first performance in 2005 at their mother's hometown church First Christian Church of Mountain Grove, MO.
The band was originally siblings Katie, Ellen, their brother Matt, and their youngest sister Julianne, accompanied by their mother Karen and father Jon. But over time, Julianne took the mandolin part and Karen switched to bass. Matt took the guitar part and their father, Jon, played the piano on some of the gospel songs. These early performances were mostly held initially in local festivals, churches and cafes.
In 2010 the band won the Gospel sing-off competition at the Sight & Sound Theatre in Branson, which performance caught the attention of the IMAX Entertainment Complex and where they were invited to play regularly at the Little Opry Theater for the entertainment of local and state residents. In 2015, the band received international recognition when banjo player, Ellen Petersen, competed in the singing reality TV show, American Idol, placing in the top 48. In 2017, Emmett Franz joined the band as their dobro player.
In 2018 the band won 4th in the International Bluegrass Music Competition in Nashville.
Katie, the lead singer and composer, has composed several original songs of her own.

Musical style

The band performs American Roots music, which is a mixture of several genres: country, gospel a cappella, and bluegrass. Some of the band's biggest influences include Alison Krauss, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, John Denver and Glen Campbell.
Their youth, as also the style of music they play, make them a popular attraction at bluegrass festivals.

Touring

Prior to 2019, The Petersens had performed to audiences throughout the continental United States, in Canada and in Ireland. In late 2019, The Petersens went on additional singing tours to Finland and to Ireland, the trip to Ireland being the group's third tour of that country. Social media platforms are often used to document their performances and recordings.

Discography

Albums

Several of the group's newer releases, as well as covers of other artists, have been made available on Spotify and iTunes.