Jessica Turoczi
Lead vocals, fiddle
Born in Decatur, GA, Jessica started playing fiddle at age the age of 7. She spent her high school years playing Irish and Bluegrass fiddle on the streets of Atlanta and performing at music festivals and small venues throughout the state.
For Jessica, playing and writing songs with Sweet Young Twang feels like the culmination of all of her musical experiences so far. The collaborative approach to song writing, the incorporation of humor into the music, and the experimentation with different genres and styles are just a few of the many things she loves about the group. Performing with Sweet Young Twang has been a dream come true!
Trey palmer
Lead vocals, guitar, banjo
Trey was born in Pelham, Georgia and grew up singing in gospel quartets. In 2013, during an early midlife crisis, Trey bought a bluegrass banjo -- his first instrument since playing brass in high school band. Two months later he met a young woman named Jessica, busking with her fiddle outside of her now-husband's crepe shop in the Inman Park neighborhood of Atlanta. They formed a fast friendship that eventually inspired Sweet Young Twang. Along the way, Trey took up guitar and upright bass, and cut his teeth as an instrumentalist and songwriter while playing in various bands in Atlanta's Americana music scene. Now he is the primary songwriter in Sweet Young Twang, where he loves playing with his friends. He especially loves playing with his beautiful bride, Erika.
erika pluhar
Vocals, upright bass
Erika grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan. Her parents loved folk music and classic rock so many of her musical influences come from those genres. Erika took piano lessons and played recitals throughout her childhood and then took a long hiatus from music. In 2016, Trey suggested she learn upright bass, so she took some lessons and got up to speed enough to play with others. She also got brave and took voice lessons (i.e., naked therapy) and the band is kind enough to let her sing on occasion. Sweet Young Twang is the very first band Erika has played with and her favorite things about it are the friendships, humor, and creative collaboration.
Steve einbender
Drums
Steve was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and his dad, although not a musician, would expose the whole family to a lot of jazz and big band music. After seeing Little Feat for the first time in the early 70's and being totally mesmerized watching Richie Hayward play drums, his musical path was set. Other bands that primarily contributed to his poly-rhythmic style include Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, and The Who. Steve has been playing in Classic Rock, Original, and Jam Bands in Atlanta since the mid 80's. The talent, diversity, and performance of Sweet Young Twang, however, is an energizing and passionate experience with the band creating a style that is, according to Steve, "just damn good fun."
andrew vickery
Vocals, pedal steel, dobro, guitar, harmonica
Andrew, aka "Bandrew," was born in Statham, Georgia, got his start playing in Athens in 2005 as a duo with Mullinix and Vickery. He then played mandolin and dobro with Ken Will Morton in 2009 and the Burning Angels in 2012. He has appeared on numerous albums with these artists as well as his own band The Wornout Welcome.
He eventually moved to Atlanta and met Trey Palmer at an open mic and the two became instant friends. That friendship led to his involvement in Sweet Young Twang. He also plays pedal steel for a variety of other local Atlanta bands including Brian Revels and the Heat Lightening, Kim Ware and the Good Graces, The Lonesome Valley, and Michael Smith and the Neighborhood, in addition to sporadic solo performances. He is a talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He also regularly has us rolling with laughter.
Paul Brandon
Lead guitar
Paul was born in Birmingham, AL, got started as a drummer in 1994, and picked up guitar in 2001. He worked for 4 years as a studio engineer, playing studio guitar occasionally. Paul played lead guitar with The Quaildogs, touring the southeast region for 8 years, including Bonaroo, Turner Field, Sweetwater Fest, and all the other Atlanta festivals, opening for acts such as Aaron Neville, American Aquarium, and Moon Taxi.
Paul uses his history with blues and southern rock to play his own version of Buck Owens country and really loves the instrumentation composite and vocal harmonies in Sweet Young Twang. (Oh, and ask us how we randomly picked him up in Ace Hardware!)