[Photo credit to Louise Bichan]
Ethan Setiawan & Fine Ground have announced that they will release their debut album, Little Storms, on October 2, 2026 on Adhyaropa Records. The Boston-based quintet honors the traditions of Bluegrass while pushing the music towards a contemporary sound.
Led by award-winning mandolinist and vocalist Ethan Setiawan, Fine Ground brings together some of the Northeast Bluegrass scene’s most accomplished musicians: BB Bowness on banjo and tenor vocals, Julian Pinelli on fiddle, Alex Rubin on guitar and baritone vocals, and Brittany Karlson on bass and tenor vocals.
Setiawan is a two-time championship winner, having earned both the National Mandolin Championship and Rockygrass Mandolin Championship. His eclectic musical career has encompassed traditional Bluegrass, Scottish Folk, Classical music, Jazz and original instrumental composition. Fine Ground, however, grew from a desire to return to the music that first inspired him. Little Storms combines Setiawan’s original compositions with songs by contemporary and influential Folk artists.
Recorded at Dimension Sound Studios in Boston, Little Storms was captured live in the room, reflecting the way Fine Ground “naturally makes music together by listening, responding and connecting through the songs.”
Little Storms was produced and mixed by Setiawan, engineered by Dan Cardinal at Dimension Sound Studios, and mastered by Dave Glasser at Airshow Mastering.
Following the album’s release, Ethan Setiawan & Fine Ground will embark on a series of Northeast and Midwest performances, including an October 2 album release show at Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ethan Setiawan & Fine Ground Fall Tour dates include:
October 1 — The Granite, Redding, CT
October 2 — Club Passim, Cambridge, Mass.
October 3 — Blasty Bough Brewing Company, Epsom, NH
October 4 — Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Yarmouth, MA
October 9 — Auburn Public Theater, Auburn, NY
October 10 — Adirondack Americana, Brant Lake, NY
October 11 — One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
December 3 — McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
December 4 — Sugar Maple Concert Series, Madison, WI
December 5 — Ignition Music Garage, Goshen, IN
December 6 — Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company, Milwaukee, WI
