West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Bradford Harris plays an old-time tune in the backyard of their Harlan, Kentucky home. Harris built the banjo with their dad.
Lots of folks have picked up new hobbies and passions during the pandemic, like knitting or growing a garden. In Harlan County, Kentucky, a 20-year-old punk musician turned to the banjo. And that led to a search for a 97-year-old banjo maker.
Everything I Was Doing I Couldn’t Do Anymore
Southeast Kentucky is home to a vibrant punk rock music scene. Bradford Harris is the guitarist and lead vocalist of the punk band L.I.P.S. of Harlan. They used to play out a couple times a month, but had to stop playing live shows because of COVID-19.
Courtesy of Bradford Harris
Al Cornett sits in his Cumberland, Kentucky home, playing a banjo built by Bradford Harris. Cornett primarily made dulcimers, but also built other stringed instruments, such as banjos and mandolins.
In Harlan County, Kentucky, 20-year-old Bradford Harris plays in the punk band L.I.P.S. When in-person shows were canceled because of the pandemic, Bradford began playing the banjo. Eventually, this led to a surprising new talent making banjos. Bradford even tracked down a 97-year-old instrument maker to learn the craft.
To see some of Bradford’s banjos, search for Harris Banjo Works on Instagram. You can also find Bradford’s punk band L.I.P.S. on Bandcamp.