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About

Based in East Tennessee, The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups are a young bluegrass band built on friendship, strong musicianship, and a shared respect for the traditions of bluegrass music.

Colton Powers (banjo, vocals), Ben Watlington (guitar, vocals), and Max Etling (upright bass, vocals) first began playing together while studying in the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University. After college, the three continued developing their music and gaining extensive stage experience through regular performances at Ole Smoky Moonshine Distilleries in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

With the addition of Josh Gooding on mandolin, The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups took shape as a band, combining the experience of four young musicians with an energetic approach firmly rooted in traditional bluegrass.

The band has quickly begun expanding its reach beyond East Tennessee. In July 2026, The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups traveled to Norway to perform at Norsk Countrytreff, marking an early international appearance and another milestone for the emerging band.

Now signed to Sound Biscuit Records, The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups are bringing that same traditional foundation into the studio while continuing to develop their own musical identity. Their recordings range from carefully chosen interpretations to original material written from within the band, including guitarist Ben Watlington's “Best Part of Me.”

With new music underway and a growing performance schedule, The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups are establishing themselves as part of a new generation carrying traditional bluegrass forward while making it unmistakably their own.