Loose Associates is a duo from South Bend, IN, playing music in the range of folk, Americana, indie, and a little punk. With guitar, mountain banjo, and vocal harmonies, they weave tunes that sound like the moss growing on a post-industrial ruin. The duo draws inspiration from folk legends like Gillian Welch, Waxahatchee, and First Aid Kit. Their forthcoming album, set to release in the summer of 2026, is a meeting between the lush melodies of I'm With Her and the anti-war protest chants of Woodie Guthrie. Loose Associates delves into themes of liberation, the environment, love, mutual aid, and community building through vignettes of personal experience set to beautiful, fun, and whimsical melodies. They invite their audience to seek their own truths, understand the world critically, and embrace their local communities.  Fernando Silverio Solis is a virtual one-man band. Armed with only his voice and a single instrument, Solis proves he still has the ability to produce a symphony of sound. Though his musical tastes vary widely, he says he grew up on outlaw country troubadours, like his father before him. And it’s those twangy, western elements of Americana that shine through in his latest music. He maintains a deep appreciation for the cathartic and healing powers of folk, the grit and DIY mindset of post-punk hardcore, and the heavy heart of country.