The Arcadian Wild are the kind of band that can’t help but emit positivity. They frequently smile while playing, their faces beaming as they pluck their acoustic instruments with precision and purpose: Isaac Horn plays guitar, Lincoln Mick plays mandolin and Bailey Warren plays fiddle. All three sing, Mick most often. For the uninitiated, The Arcadian Wild specialize in a mix of bluegrass and folk, their interweaving vocal harmonies and musicianship bringing to mind everyone from Nickel Creek to Andrew Bird. Horn and Mick began playing together in 2013 at Lipscomb University, a private Christian institution in Nashville. A shifting lineup around them eventually settled with the addition of Warren in 2020.
They’ve independently released a full-length album (2023’s Welcome), a trio of EPs and a smattering of stand-alone singles since, all reveling in their shared sense of harmonics. “Harmony has been at the center of our musical experience and expression from the very beginning,” Mick is quoted from the bio on the band’s website. “Often, when we’re unsure of what to do next, we’ll say, ‘Let’s just all sing together.’ We’ve changed a lot as a band over the years, but harmony has always been the backbone of what we do, which has led us to create all these background vocals that not only support the lead but have a life and character of their own.” As one might expect given their pedigree, lyrical topics, courtesy of Mick and Horn, center on their faith. Try this from “Lara,” the sinuous opening track from Welcome: “Lara, keep an eye on the horizon/Don’t worry about the rain, the sun is rising/Blessed be the blazing sky, burn until we believe/Oh, what a lovely name.”
The Arcadian Wild’s optimism is hard to deny. It’s even more evident in a live setting, their soaring harmonies and earnest dispositions likely to crack the most hardened of cynics.
The Arcadian Wild play the Woodward Theater on May 13 at 7 p.m. More info: woodwardtheater.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 30 print edition.
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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.