Sami Braman

Sami Braman has been playing the fiddle since she was six years old, coming up amid the music festivals and jamming communities of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant old-time and bluegrass music scenes. Under the instruction of fiddle tradition-bearer Ruthie Dornfeld, she studied both classical and fiddle music.

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At eight, she and her long-time musical buddies Leo Shannon and Riley Calcagno formed The Onlies, which plays at festivals and gigs around the country and whose sound they further refined in 2016 with the addition of acclaimed folk musician Vivian Leva. The Onlies have released an EP and three full-length albums, and performed on stages at the Father's Day Bluegrass Festival, Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention, and Pickathon.

She moved to Nashville in 2021 and soon joined Willie Watson's touring band, performing with them at MerleFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and Freshgrass.
In April 2023, Sami released her debut solo record of original fiddle tunes, co-produced by herself and legendary fiddler Brittany Haas. Here she celebrates the fiddle with a playful journey that, over the course of ten tracks, draws upon traditions from Appalachia to Ireland, Cape Breton to Norway, and beyond. Aptly named for the myriad fiddling styles she nimbly “rivets” together, Riveter pulses with an old-time groove throughout and Sami's sheer joy in playing her instrument rolls off it all in waves.

Within a musical tradition where fully original works are the exception, Sami sets herself apart—and her compositional chops are undeniable. Supported by a stringband of fellow Nashville-based pals (Emily Mann, Jake Stargel, and Frank Evans), she pushes us to imagine what traditionally inspired folk music can be.

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