WILKINSON JAMES was born in 2008 when Liz Wilkinson and AJ Scheiber met up and
merged their singing and songwriting into a musical partnership that one fan described as
“the bastard o@spring of June Carter Cash and Townes Van Zandt.” Somewhere along the
line that duo became a full band, adding pedal steel, fiddle, and saxophone to Liz and AJ’s
resonant harmonies and classic-yet-fresh original tunes.

ERIK BRANDT has been the ringleader of the award-winning eclectic Twin Cities-based
Urban Hillbilly Quartet since 1995. Most of his original tunes can be found on the nine
albums he’s recorded with the UHQ and his three solo albums, including his most
recent, The Long Winter.
Though Erik mostly performs solo, he is often joined by guests from UHQ and other bands
on stage. The combination of his di@erent instruments (piano, guitar, and accordion),
songwriting talent and musical guests makes his live performances dynamic and unique.