Band Biography

Aptly described as “beyond Appalachian, beyond blues, beyond folk”, Andrew McKnight & Beyond Borders’ sweet vocal blend and tight delivery inspires enthusiastic responses at festivals and concerts. The environmental-engineer-turned nationally touring artist’s masterfully crafted songs and stories are heartfelt and intelligent, touching on themes from history, environmental issues, and rural Virginia and American life. Featuring founding Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Les Thompson, his wife and fellow songwriter Stephanie Thompson, and WAMMIE-award winning singer/songwriter Lisa Taylor, the band blends Andrew’s charming tenor voice and acoustic and electric guitars with upright bass, drums, banjo, and percussion to create “a vast expanse of song and sound”.

A band that begins their existence performing at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington DC is likely to be headed for some interesting places artistically as well as in their career. And Beyond Borders describes this collective creative force in many ways - stylistically, artistically and in their arrangements of songs drawing from Andrew’s five CDs. The intricate harmonies of two male and two female voices in different combinations adds a rare sparkle.

Since 2010 the Virginia Commission for the Arts has recognized the band as one of the Commonwealth's best performing arts groups by their inclusion in the Touring Artists Directory, alongside top talents like Robin & Linda Williams, the Richmond and Virginia Symphonies, world music group Solazo, and luthier and master guitarist Wayne Henderson. They also were part of the main stage lineup at the inaugural Mountain Aid concert near Chapel Hill NC along with Kathy Mattea and Donna the Buffalo.

These four seasoned musicians and consummate professionals bring an exciting, unique and dynamic presentation to the stage. Their individual talents, coupled with a genuine warmth with each other and their audiences, make them a true delight on and off stage.

Band Biographies

Multi-instrumentalist Les Thompson was with NGDB until 1973, spanning their rise to popularity with hits like "Mr. Bojangles" as well as the band's landmark platinum record, Will the Circle Be Unbroken?, with Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter and other legends of American music. Since leaving the band, Les has produced and/or engineered numerous other audio and television projects including a series of ABC After School Play Breaks. Always fascinated by the recording process, for the past decade his Cabin Studios has been a focal point for the region's acoustic bands, such as Larry Burnett of Firefall, string whiz Danny Knicely, gypsy-jazz string band The Woodshedders and David Via and Corn Tornado as well as three of Andrew's last four CDs.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Les' wife Stephanie Thompson is a gifted musician in multiple ways - blessed with a soft and sweet alto voice, she is equally at home singing her own songs or picking a traditional tune like "Red Haired Boy". Her "What Kind of Person?" was recorded by Rani Arbo and Salamander Crossing. In Beyond Borders she is the consummate utility player - upright bass, acoustic guitar, hand percussion - and adds as much of the colorful ornamentation as the solid underpinnings to the sound. She appears on three of Andrew's CDs, including her playful harmony on "The Fox" on the new CD. She and Les have a deep love of traditional Appalachian music and can be found jamming at many of the region's summer festivals.

Singer and songwriter Lisa Taylor blew onto the Washington DC music landscape like a hurricane in the mid-90s with her debut CD Sibling Rivalry, earning seven Washington Area Music Award nominations. Shortly afterwards she played drums and percussion on Andrew's second CD, Where This River Runs. She has devoted most of her time in the last few years raising two young daughters, but in 2008 returned to recording and performing with a vengeance, releasing her followup solo CD True North as well as joining forces with Andrew again. Her skillful chops on the drums draw from jazz, rock and world music influences, but her tasteful employment of her talents is a true sign of a master musician.