The Carter Brothers (Danny and Tim) are packing their grip for a long, long trip – across the ocean to Ireland.

They have two weeks worth of shows running from June 18 through July 1. Tim will be on banjo, mandolin and guitar, with Danny on guitar and Mark Vernon on bass. Everybody gets to sing.

Tim said that they are all excited to head over to Ireland, where they have developed quite a following…

“We’re playing theaters and clubs all around the country, including Nial Toners RTE Roots Freeway show in Dublin. Then we head over to Conwy in Wales where we headline the Conwy Bluegrass Festival July 3-5.

The Carter Brothers will head back to Ireland in September for the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival – our fifth appearance there. We love Ireland and they have certainly embraced us there.”

You can see the full schedule on The Carter Brothers web site.

Tim Carter, the banjo playing half of The Carter Brothers, has opened a recording studio in Ridgetop, TN – about 12 miles north of Nashville.

Treehouse Studios was built as an addition to Tim’s log home, with a separate entrance, rest room and kitchenette.

Tim says that he has already done sessions with Sonya Issacs, Tim Stafford, Rob Ickes, Claire Lynch, Carl Jackson, Tony Trischka and Jim Hurst.

Carter shared a few words about his new venture.

“It’s a ProTools studio, and we have a wide range of vintage and newer hand built mics and mic preamps chosen with acoustic instruments in mind. The studio was designed by Kevin Hughes, a studio designer from Houston, TX. The acoustics of the room are incredible and the vibe makes for a very creative environment.”

You can see a complete equipment list and more details online.

The Carter Brothers (Danny and Tim) brought their eclectic bluegrass-fusion sound to The Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour this week. They appeared this past Monday (3/3) along with Irish folksinger Tommy Sands, and the video for the full program is available on the Woodsongs web site.

The Carters grew up in North Carolina, born into folk music royalty as relatives of the acclaimed Carter Family of Virginia. They have been touring together for more than 20 years, blending bluegrass and electric instruments into their own signature style and have developed a sizeable following in Europe as well as the US and Canada.

They now reside in Nashville where Tim also works as a session player and producer/engineer, and Danny focuses on songwriting.