A BAND that brings a ‘spirited sound’ that falls somewhere between old-time country and Vaudeville is playing a gig in Bangor.

Bill and the Belles, from the USA, put their own spin on a golden era of music, specifically that of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

The band is playing the Blue Sky cafe, just behind 236 High Street, at 7pm, on Wednesday, August 28.

The band's debut album, Dreamsongs, Etc., Bill and the Belles has endeared them to listeners of every generation.

A majority of the material on DreamSongs, Etc., is original, from the upbeat number, “Wedding Bell Chimes,” through the yearning ode to youth, “Back to My Childhood Days.”

The band takes its name from Bill and Belle Reed, performers from the 1920s who recorded the songs “Old Lady and the Devil” and “You Shall Be Free” in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Guitarist and vocalist Kris Truelsen said: “That was the first time I heard ‘Old Lady and the Devil,’ and since then it’s become clear to me why it’s stood the test of time.

"Simple, plaintive, stripped-down but incredibly expressive, tough as nails and funny as hell. I first heard that side on the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music, a collection that continues to inspire.

"Our band’s name is a way to honour their music, the music of this place, and this region in general that we’ve come to call home."

The trio recorded around one microphone while rounding out the sound with addition of accordion and clarinet.

“The small cities like Johnson City and Bristol tucked in between the mountains are inspiring to me,” said Kris.

The musicians include Kris Truelsen (guitar, vocal), raised in the Colorado mountains, Kalia Yeagle’s (fiddle, vocal), brought up in Alaska, Helena Hunt (banjo, banjo ukulele, vocal) from North Carolina, and Andrew Small i(bass) who lives in Virginia.

Tickets are £12 from the cafe in person, online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/478472 (10 per cent admin fee) or on the door.

Doors open 7pm. Gig starts 8pm. There is a bar only, no food served.