Two of North Carolina’s veteran bluegrass musicians—Hank Smith on Banjo and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw on fiddle—join forces with some of the most versatile artists in the Carolinas to create modern, American, acoustic music featuring the full range of their talents as composers and arrangers.

“We all come from different backgrounds but seem to have a common link that has connected us from the beginning. Each individual brings his or her piece of the puzzle to the table, and this ensemble forms its own unique sound,” Pattie shared for a September 2015 article in Bluegrass Today. The band is on tour regionally and nationally in support of their 2022 release.

Hank, Pattie & The Current makes use of traditional bluegrass instrumentation in a nontraditional way to present original music to the listener that goes beyond the limits of the idiom. The arrangements take on a new level of maturation that follows in the footsteps of Bela Fleck, Mark O'Connor, Chris Thile, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, and Tony Rice.

They want to pick up where seminal crossover groups like The Punch Brothers, Strength In Numbers and the ever-changing Bluegrass Allstars call home. The music is vocal and instrumental, allowing the band to experiment with arrangements and tailor the compositions to become vehicles for exploration.

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Latest Albums
Rise Above
Hank, Pattie & The Current (Live)
Hold Your Head Up High
Hank, Pattie & The Current

Band Members
Hank Smith / Banjo
Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw / Fiddle and lead vocalist
Billie Feather / Guitar
Steven Martinez / Bass and vocals

“Bluegrass juggernauts Hank Smith and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw put their own unique spin on old school bluegrass by infusing elements of Latin and Jazz music. With innovative arrangements, pitch-perfect harmonies, and stunning artistry, this band knows how to deliver a captivating performance.”
-High Country PRess