Today we’d like to introduce you to John Bolten.
John, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Geraldine was formed in 2018. At the time, I (John Bolten -songwriting, guitar, banjo, vocals) and Josh Anderson (fiddle, vocals) were working up some original songs and playing some gigs with Ben Lassiter (dobro, guitar, vocals). Soon we evolved into a full 5 piece band when I met Jocelyn Haversat (bass, foot percussion, vocals) and Jonathan Vocke (banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals) at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, WV in the summer of 2018. I had entered the festival song contest not knowing that they required a band to perform the song. Fate ensued, and my camping neighbors, Jocelyn and Jonathan, offered to perform with me on stage. We eventually started performing as a full 5 piece band when Noah Bowman (bass, fiddle, guitar, banjo, vocals) joined later that year. In 2023, Jocelyn left the band to take a job out of state, and we were lucky to have Sarah Larsen (bass, fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals) join the team. In 2023 Cory Chubb (mandolin, guitar, vocals) also joined the band and brought our full signature sound. The rest is history!
We call our music ‘Good Time Old Time’. We have made two albums of original songs – 8 songs from the albums have been selected by National songwriting contests – and we lean heavily on the novel songwriting aspect of our music while building off of the traditional old time and bluegrass music that continues to inspire us.
We started hosting our own annual variety show, ‘This Old Town’ in Ellicott City Maryland in 2019 featuring Geraldine and some of our favorite artists and musicians from the region. We have been fortunate to be the official House Band for the Annapolis Baygrass Festival for each year of the festival, and have had a wonderful time playing multiple years at the Charm City Bluegrass and Savage Mill Bluegrass Festivals, and we are thrilled to be on the roster for the first Music City Maryland Bluegrass and Roots Festival in May, 2025 in Catonsville, MD.
Geraldine is going into the studio this spring and we plan to release our third album later in 2025.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge for Geraldine has been maintaining our original sound while transitioning between new members, since several folks had to leave the band to pursue other endeavors. Geraldine plays mostly original music, and that makes finding substitutes or new members more challenging. That said, we’ve had fantastic luck finding very talented and dedicated players!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We have an eclectic group. I’m a research scientist and spend my time working with folks from around the world to find novel ways for improving water resource management. Josh is Physician’s Associate, Cory is music teacher at a public school in DC, Jonathan is a music instructor in DC and Baltimore and also is a fantastic cobb builder, and Sarah is a music instructor, runs her own studio, plays in multiple bands, leads Annapolis Bluegrass, the Chesapeake Winter Bluegrass Festival, and has several other endeavors.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best way to support us is to come to our shows, tell your friends about us, follow us on social media and Spotify, etc., and purchase our albums! Most of the band members are music instructors, and I teach songwriting workshops on occasion. We aim to be community builders and enjoy jamming with new folks and supporting our friends. Sarah and Jonathan both run frequent bluegrass and old time jams in Annapolis and Takoma Park, respectively.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.geraldineband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegeraldineband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geraldinetheband/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj12_jsr7a4IMTGYtX_OEA
- Other: https://geraldineband.bandcamp.com/album/paw-paw
