I was a teen when The Lawyers and 8084 became trending Vermont bands. They’re part of the inspiration for my list of the 10 biggest musicians from Vermont. But, The Lawyers didn’t seem to last. Other than the one album, I never heard much of them again. Meanwhile, 8084 continues to play from time to time. My love of music dates back well beyond them to the Beatles, Blondie, Pat Benatar, and even ABBA, but I support local bands and artists as much as I can.
Vermont’s music scene covers everything you could imagine. Pop artist Jojo was born here. We have folk singers, country musicians, rockers, and several singer-songwriters. Many started their careers playing locally in small bars, fairs, or local coffee shops. Nectars, Higher Ground, and the former Club New England, Rusty Nail, and Memorial Auditorium all host local talent.
Music is an integral part of my life, and I’m honored to share some of the biggest musicians from Vermont and highlight their work. I can only pick 10, so I chose bands and artists performing in sold-out shows, who have appeared on the Billboard charts, or who have won or been nominated for a music award. I arranged them in alphabetical order. (Learn more about the “10 Biggest Musicians From Connecticut,” too.)
Trey Anastasio
- From: Fort Worth, Texas
- Awards: Nominated for a 2013 Tony for “Best Original Score” and won the Dramatists Guild of America’s “Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic Composition”
For those of us in the area, it’s not surprising to see Anastasio out on the bike path with his family. While he wasn’t born in Vermont, he came to Burlington’s UVM for college, formed the early version of Phish in college, and owns property here. His Vermont barn houses the Seven Below Arts Initiative not far from the college town where he launched his long music career.
While he is still an integral part of Phish, he’s also tackled solo projects and released 11 solo albums, six live albums, and five EPs to date. He’s currently on tour with his band Trey Anastasio and Classic Tab. Rolling Stone ranks him 53rd on its list of “The Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” which is incredible if you think of all the world’s talent.
While I was never a Phish fan, I love Anastasio’s solo work. “Clint Eastwood” covers the Gorillaz song, and Jennifer Hartswick’s vocals are so rich and bluesy. I recommend it.
Erin Bentlage
- From: Jericho
- Awards: 2023 Grammy win for “Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals,” 2020 Grammy nomination for “Best Arrangement – Instruments,” and was nominated for the Jazz Journalists Association “Best Vocal Jazz Group”
Bentlage hails from my hometown, and she grew up in a neighborhood very close to my own. She won a Grammy in 2023 for her work in the all-female jazz group säje. She’s an arranger, composer, and jazz singer with incredible talent, which is why she’s on my list of Vermont musicians.
Säje released their first album in 2023, and “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” landed Bentlage her first Grammy. It’s a track you should listen to. The entire album is soothing and one of our top choices for a lazy Sunday morning.
Doveman
- From: Putney
- Awards: Nominated for a 2019 Grammy for his work on Sufjan Stevens’ “Call Me By Your Name” and won the Grammy for “Best Song Written for Visual Media” for it, also nominated for “Best Global Music Album” in 2021 for “Bebel Gilberto’s “Agora”
Doveman, a.k.a. Thomas Bartlett, has four albums to his name, but this Vermont musician’s expansive catalog of work involved his work as a producer for an array of musicians. He’s worked with huge names like Florence and the Machine, Norah Jones, and Mandy Patinkin. He also contributed to Taylor Swift’s “Evermore.”
Before any of this, he formed Popcorn Behavior with childhood friends when he was a teen. They recorded and released three songs when Doveman was just 13. After high school, he headed to London to train with Italian classical pianist Maria Curcio. He performed piano alongside famous musicians like David Byrne and Yoko Ono and realized his passion for collaboration and production.
His latest venture is a musical he worked on with Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. “Gatsby: An American Myth” opens in May 2024.
Pierce Fulton
- From: Stratton
- Awards: n/a
Fulton’s story makes me sad as he was so talented and deserves his place among the biggest musicians from Vermont. His love of music started when he was young, and he left high school for UVM, but his electronic dance music (EDM) was helping him stand out. He left UVM to focus on his music.
He released his first EP in 2011 and another followed in 2014. That EP’s release, “Runaway,” made it onto Billboard’s charts. His second release also did well. After collaborating with Martin Garrix and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park on “Waiting For Tomorrow,” he followed that with his first full album in 2017. He reunited with his best friend to form Leaving Laurel in 2020. A year later, he died by suicide following mental health struggles.
Noah Kahan
- From: Strafford
- Awards: Nominations for “Best New Artist” at the 2023 Grammy Awards, “New Artist of the Year” for the People’s Choice Awards, Brit Awards’ “International Song,” and two Billboard Music Awards
My daughter introduced me to Noah Kahan’s music while my mom was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, and his songs hit hard. “Mess” brought me to familiar ground. His mournful longing to go back to Maine. I feel that every day. “The View Between the Villages” from his third release still makes me teary-eyed as trips to Jericho are full of so many happy and also painful memories. Kahan’s songs are emotional, poignant, and even depressing at times, but they’re so very honest. He’s made me laugh, he’s certainly made me cry, and he’s made me feel like I’m not the only one who feels this way.
It should be mentioned that TikTok played a role in his success as a Vermont singer-songwriter. It was through that social media platform that “Stick Season” became a viral hit. Until that song, I hadn’t even realized we call the dreary months here “Stick Season.” That’s not a term I ever heard growing up. As soon as I saw an article on the biggest musicians from Vermont, his name came to mind.
Since the success of his third studio album, he’s remade the songs or recorded new ones with Gracie Abrams (filmmaker J.J. Abrams’s daughter), Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlisle, Sam Fender, Hozier, Gregory Alan Isakov, Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, and Kasey Musgraves. If his fans get their wish, he’ll also work with Taylor Swift soon.
Justin Levinson
- From: Vergennes
- Awards: Finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition in 2007, and winner of 2008’s “Best Male Artist” in the International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA)
Levinson is in my top three of the best Vermont musicians. Some liken him to early Elton John, but I always find myself thinking of the Beatles when I listen to him.
He has six albums out, and he partnered with Anna Nalick (“Breathe: 2 a.m.”) on the jazzy “A Part of Me.” He’s toured with The Verve Pipe, Howie Day, and other Vermont singer-songwriters like Anais Mitchell. Most recently, he has played locally at coffeehouses, breweries, and the Venetian Soda Lounge. Additionally, he offers music lessons for all ages at the Shelburne Music School. You could take lessons with one of the talented musicians from Vermont.
Anais Mitchell
- From: Montpelier
- Awards: Eight Tony Awards including “Best Musical” and “Best Original Score,” and a Grammy for “Best Musical Theater Album,” and awards for “New Folk Award” at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2003, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for “Best Traditional Track” in 2014, and Libera Awards “Best Americana Record” in 2021
My husband likens Mitchell as a modern-day Melanie. I find myself thinking more of Marilyn Monroe breathily singing “I Wanna Be Loved by You.” Then, “Hadestown” came out. That Broadway show’s music shows a whole other level.
She’s a singer-songwriter whose musical won her worldwide attention and placement on my list of biggest musicians from Vermont. It’s currently playing in the West End and is nominated for an Olivier Award for “Best Musical Revival.” In addition to “Hadestown,” she has seven other studio albums and an EP with Rachel Ries. She also worked with Big Read Machine and Fleet Foxes on the song “Phoenix.”
Phish
- From: Members of this Vermont band came from Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts but met in Vermont colleges
- Awards: 2001 Grammy Award nominations for “Best Boxed Recording Package” and Best Instrumental Rock Performance.” Received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Jammys in 2008.
Earlier, I talked about Phish’s origins. Anastasio met Jeff Holdsworth, but he met drummer Jon Fishman after transferring to Goddard, a more rural college closer to Montpelier. After jamming together, they posted an ad looking for a bassist and met Mike Gordon that way.
They played in UVM’s cafeteria, but they’d branch out with shows in local bars and taverns. It’s when they went to Nectar’s in Burlington that cemented their history as having kicked off in Burlington, and that led to the album “A Picture of Nectar” honoring Nectar’s owner, Nectar Morris. They developed a strong reputation as a jam band and are known as the biggest of Vermont bands.
Phish has grown into a massively popular progressive rock, psychedelic jam band with a massive following. They do incredible things for the state; most recently, they held two concerts and raised $3.5 million in funds for Vermont after massive flooding hit multiple towns in 2023. They tour, take breaks to work on solo albums, and tour some more. With multiple studio, live, and compilation albums, there’s a lot to listen to.
Grace Potter
- From: Waitsfield
- Awards: Nominated for the Grammy’s “Best Country Duo” in 2012 with Kenny Chesney, “Best Rock Performance” and “Best Rock Album” in 2021, and several CMA and ACM nominations, including a win for Music Video of the Year” in 2011, and also won an Annie Award for “Music in a Television Production” in 2012
Many people have heard of her, either solo or with her band The Nocturnals, which ended when she and her drummer/husband divorced. Her solo career took off after that. She’s worked with Kenny Chesney, Lucius, Bob Weir, and Warren Haynes. Have you watched the show “Grace & Frankie?” If so, you’ve heard Potter cover Steeler Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You” during the show’s opening.
My personal favorite from her extensive catalog of songs is “Stars,” a Grace Potter & the Nocturnals song I cannot stand outside on a starry night without tearing up. She wrote it for a friend who passed away, but I stand outside and think of my parents.
Like Phish, Potter’s generosity towards the state is undeniable. She appeared on a livestream performance with “I Can’t Stand the Rain” and “Nothing But the Water” while showing flood photos. She helped the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023 raise more than $156,000.
Dan Tyminski
- From: Rutland
- Awards: Received the “Bluegrass Star Award” from the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in 2021 and won a CMA in 2001 for “Best Single” and 14 Grammy’s, including one for his work with the Soggy Bottom Boys in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
The last entry in my list of Vermont musicians is someone you likely know without realizing it. If you’ve seen “O Brother Where Art Thou?”, you’ve heard his music. He’s part of Allison Krauss’s band, Union Station, and he formed his own band during a hiatus while she worked with Led Zepplin’s Robert Plant.
In 2013, he recorded “Hey Brother” with Avicii, which reached No. 16 on the “Billboard Hot 100.” His albums “Wheels” and “God Fearing Heathen” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s bluegrass charts.
Picking 10 of the many talented Vermont musicians was tough. I also recommend listening to Caroline Rose, Strangefolk, and the amazing singer Kat Wright. If music is as much a part of your life as it is mine, “10 Songs Written in 10 Minutes or Less” is a must-read.