Mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull recently sat down with PBS Special Correspondent Tom Casciato to discuss her journey from being a bluegrass prodigy in small-town Tennessee to becoming one of the genre’s most revered emerging artists.
The profile traces Hull’s musical journey back to her days frequenting local bluegrass jams in her native Byrdstown, TN—a town with a population of less than 1,000 residents. Casciato has her read a fan letter she sent to Alison Krauss when she was just 10 years old as part of a school assignment to write to her hero. Although Krauss never received the letter, they soon crossed paths at MerleFest in 2002 when Chris Thile overheard Hull playing one of his songs.
“I look up and Chris Thile is in front of me and says, ‘Holy cow, want to play it together?'” Hull remembers. “We went and found a corner somewhere and he jammed with me for an hour and a half, and he took me backstage to meet my hero.”
Krauss would become one of her most important mentors, inviting her to perform at the Grand Ole Opry at age 12.
With a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, Hull broadened her musical horizons, embracing diverse styles and collaborations while staying grounded in her bluegrass roots. Today, she stands at the forefront of a modern bluegrass renaissance, earning admiration from both purists and progressive audiences alike. With the release of her first independent album, A Tip Toe High Wire, Hull continues to push the genre in a bold new direction, making her a leading figure in the style’s continued evolution.
Watch the full PBS NewsHour profile of Sierra Hull below and listen to A Tip Toe High Wire here. For a more detailed look at her musical journey and new album, read her interview with L4LM here.
Hull is gearing up to head to Mexico to play Goose‘s Viva El Gonzo Festival on May 8th before joining Willie Nelson‘s Outlaw Music Festival tour for a run of 11 shows. Click below for a full list of her upcoming tour dates.
Sierra Hull On PBS NewsHour