Hotwire
Hotwire features an ear-grabbing mix of old-style bluegrass, newgrass, country, folk and acoustic genres that are hard to pin down—delivered with a hard driving energy that they call "high-voltage bluegrass." Their sound features solid two, three and four part harmonies and hot instrumental solos on guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle.
Dave Hunt is a two-time Utah State flat-picking champion on both guitar and mandolin. He has placed 2nd on fiddle. Dave’s uncanny ability to duplicate complex Doc Watson licks on guitar is a showstopper. His pleasant tenor voice occasionally takes the lead, and provides the foundation for Hotwire’s harmonies.
Dale Fisk toured the western U.S. with a country-rock band in the 1970s, is Hotwire's lead singer and plays guitar and mandolin. He has placed 3rd in Idaho’s Old Time Fiddler’s flat-picking competition on mandolin. His clear, pitch-perfect voice has the versatility to range from a high lonesome sound reminiscent of Vince Gill all the way down to more resonant tones of singers like Johnny Cash.
Dennis Maggard plays banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass. He has taken first place in Idaho’s Old Time Fiddler’s state flat-picking competition on guitar. Dennis’s deep bass voice gives Hotwire's occasional four-part harmonies its rich tone.
Helen Smith plays bass and guitar, and provides the high harmonies that give Hotwire its clear, resonant vocal blend.
