News
21 October 2026 – Dowsers Sign to Gar Hole Records and Release Experimental Folk Double Single Dogwood and Three Forks of Cheat
By Editorial Team - October 21, 2026
Summary
Appalachian folk collective Dowsers sign to Gar Hole Records, unveiling double single Dogwood and Three Forks of Cheat blending old-time fiddle with heavy post-rock.
Key Facts
- Dowsers sign to Gar Hole Records ahead of their forthcoming 2027 debut album.
- New double single features original song 'Dogwood' and heavy drone reinvention of 'Three Forks of Cheat'.
- Collective members include musicians from Magic Tuber Stringband, Weirs, Sluice, and Beak Trio.
- Entities: Dowsers, Gar Hole Records, Evan Morgan, Courtney Werner, Magic Tuber Stringband, Edden Hammons, Hayesville, North Carolina, Arkansas
- Tags: dowsers, gar-hole-records, magic-tuber-stringband, experimental-folk, appalachian-folk, post-rock, north-carolina, drone
Interstate experimental folk ensemble Dowsers have signed with Arkansas independent imprint Gar Hole Records, marking the announcement with a sweeping double single featuring original piece "Dogwood" alongside an expansive reimagining of "Three Forks of Cheat". The tracks serve as an introduction to their upcoming debut studio album slated for 2027.
The collective unites seasoned musicians across North Carolina and Illinois, including Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan of Magic Tuber Stringband, Austin Cash of Nathan Smearage, Oliver Child-Lanning of Weirs and Sluice, James Gibian of Beak Trio, and Alli Rogers of Alli Blois. Together, they bridge Appalachian old-time fiddle traditions with the droning dynamics of post-rock.
"Dogwood" was penned by Morgan in spring 2020 while in Hayesville, North Carolina, meditating on the rhythms of mountain flora, ecological erosion, and the passage of time. Meanwhile, "Three Forks of Cheat" takes an archival West Virginia fiddle tune originally attributed to legendary musician Edden Hammons and explodes it into a towering wall of distorted, Harvey Milk-inspired guitars.
By refusing to treat archival folk music as a museum relic, Dowsers illuminate how traditional American roots music and heavy experimental dissonance share common emotional foundations. Browse more boundary-pushing acoustic sounds in our folk archive and check our news stream.