Into the Fog to take the stage at the N.C. State Fair after a whirlwind summer and winning the Jam In the Van contest in Austin, Texas.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post originally appeared in the The Wake Weekly newspaper.

RALEIGH — Gigs ranging from their recent appearances at the 10th annual International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass conference and festival in Raleigh to OFest  in Summerfield on Oct. 16 to venues up and down the East Coast are keeping the band busy, says Wake Forest native Brian Stephenson, who plays guitar and sings for the fledgling group he helped found four years ago.

“We’re like a rock show in disguise,” Stephenson said during an interview at IBMA. “We like the rowdy crowds. We feed off the energy.”

You can catch their progressive funky take on bluegrass at the N.C. State Fair — Heritage Circle stage on Oct. 18 where they will play five sets at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

With its members having various backgrounds ranging from bluegrass, country, rock to funk, Into The Fog creates a musical melting pot of sounds in an acoustic/newgrass setting. The band is made up of Stephenson (acoustic guitar, vocals), Winston Mitchell (mandolin, vocals), Derek Lane (bass, vocals) and Connor Kozlosky (electric guitar, vocals.)

Originally formed in Wilmington, Into The Fog immediately hit the ground running as a band by heading across the country to compete at the 2018 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition only a few months after coming together. That cross-country trip was recorded by friend of the band and videographer Mason Godwin in his documentary, “Band #7: The Ride to Telluride.”

But their musical journey hasn’t been all smooth sailing.

“We were really just coming together as a band when we went out to the Telluride (Colorado) Bluegrass Festival in 2017 to compete in its annual band competition,” Stephenson explained after playing a set on the Hillside Stage at the recent 2021 MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro. “We didn’t win the competition, unfortunately, and, then, well, you know, COVID.”

As COVID restrictions slowly diminished, the band got back to work playing as much as they could around North Carolina, becoming a mainstay at more than 30 different breweries. 

After the band’s pandemic-induced hiatus, the boys, who hail mainly from and around the Triangle, re-emerged as the winners of the coveted MerleFest Band Competition in 2021.

Into The Fog started to pick up momentum, exchanging brewery gigs for music venues and festivals with opportunities to play at Shakori Hills, The Big What, Groove in the Garden, RoosterWalk, FloydFest, Front Porch Fest and the N.C. Homegrown Music Festival along with opening slots for national touring acts Sam Bush, Larry Keel, Ghost of Paul Revere and Jon Stickley Trio.

“We’ve been staying really busy,” Stephenson said.

In March, the band traveled to Austin, Texas, to record a Jam in the Van session (www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eL8FNVLVOw) with the help of Mason Via of Old Crow Medicine Show, who flew out to play guitar for the session after Stephenson broke his arm. The band went on to win the competition, thanks in no small part to the help of Via, Stephenson said.

 “We called him the day before and we said if we pay for your flight, can you come and play with us?,” he said. “We had one day of practice for the Jam in the Van session and we won!”

Into The Fog solidified their sound further with their 14-track sophomore album “Runnin’ Blind and Chasin’ Time,” released in May of 2021.

“We feel good about playing in Raleigh and Wilmington, but now we’re looking to branch out and really expand our footprint,” Stephenson said. “That’s our next goal.”

To learn more, visit www.intothefogmusic.com