Trouble Creek EPK

Sound & Musical Style

• High-energy traditional and progressive bluegrass

• Driving fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and guitar breaks

• Tight vocal harmony work

• Crowd-engaging showmanship

Perfect for warm-up slots, dance-style crowds, or outdoor festival energy.

Ideal Booking Types

• Bars & Taverns

• Music Venues

• Outdoor Festivals

• Warm-Up/Openers for touring bluegrass, folk, Americana, or jamgrass acts

• Fairs / Community Stages

• Breweries & Distilleries

Travel Radius

Tampa Bay Area + regional Florida travel.

Stage Performance Reputation

• Engages audiences and participation

• Fast setup and teardown

• Experienced with house sound & festival run-of-show

Tech Info

• Full acoustic lineup with DI support

• Input list available on request

• Tech rider PDF available

Notable Strengths for Bookers

• Brings energy early — great warm-up band

• Easy to work with

• Family-friendly sets available

• Fast, efficient communication

Band Biography

Kathy Jaeck – Bass & Harmony Vocals

Kathy Jaeck proves that it’s never too late to find your instrument. After retiring from a long career in teaching in 2014, she decided to tackle the upright bass—and never looked back. Though she’s played guitar, banjo, and dobro along the way, the bass quickly became her musical home and has been her primary instrument ever since.

Largely self-taught, Kathy sharpens her skills the old-fashioned way: jamming, attending workshops, and listening closely to the bass players who inspire her. Her musical roots run deep in bluegrass, especially in the powerful voices and driving rhythms that make the genre move.

Kathy has performed with a variety of respected bluegrass acts in North Carolina and Florida, including The River Ratz, Bay Bluegrass, Charlie Bill & Two Wheel Ride, Tall Pines, and The Fil Pate Trio. She also recorded the album Seeds in the Sand with Tall Pines.

On stage, Kathy brings a steady, driving bass line with the occasional melodic break when the moment feels right—but her favorite role is singing harmony. Whether locking in the groove or lifting the vocals, she adds heart, soul, and rock-solid rhythm to every performance.

Retired teacher. Full-time groove enforcer.

Thomas Zach - Mandolin, Fiddle & Vocals

Thomas Zach brings both fire and finesse to Trouble Creek Music, blending modern bluegrass energy with deep musical knowledge and fearless improvisation. Playing mandolin and violin, Thomas adds drive, harmony, and showmanship—along with a sharp ear for theory that keeps the band tight and adventurous.

With over seven years of live performance experience, Thomas draws from a wide-ranging background in jazz, bluegrass, and classical music. He has performed throughout Florida, most notably across the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay area, developing a style that feels grounded in tradition while never standing still.

Influenced by legends like Tony Rice, Stéphane Grappelli, and Sam Bush, Thomas approaches bluegrass with both respect and curiosity. His playing moves easily from driving rhythm to expressive solos, often weaving melodic lines that lift the entire band.

On stage, Thomas contributes tight harmonies, dynamic solos, rhythmic power, and a confident stage presence that connects with audiences quickly. Whether locking in the groove or pushing the music forward, he brings a modern edge that keeps Trouble Creek Music sounding fresh and exciting.

Smart theory. Strong rhythm. Modern bluegrass fire.

Jake Sowell - Banjo & Dobro

Jake Sowell has been playing bluegrass for most of his life—and professionally since most kids were still figuring out recess. He began music at age five on piano and violin, discovered bluegrass at eleven, and was performing on stage by twelve. Twenty years later, he’s still doing what he does best: playing banjo faster, louder, and sharper than feels entirely reasonable.

Jake learned banjo from Billy Rader of Panama City, Florida, whose family ran the Ocean Opry, a Grand Ole Opry–style country venue, and from Marcus Neal of White City, Florida—a Florida State Banjo Champion and bluegrass gospel player who performed alongside many of the genre’s early pioneers. That lineage shows up clearly in Jake’s playing: rooted in tradition, fearless in execution, and unapologetically powerful.

A two-time Florida State Banjo Champion, Jake has shared the stage with acts including The Lewis Family Band and Marty Raybon. His influences read like a bluegrass hall of fame - Ralph Stanley, Little Roy Lewis, Sonny Osborne, Bill Keith, and Earl Scruggs.

Live, Jake brings what he proudly calls “Mountain Style” banjo—playing close to the bridge for a crisp, snapping tone, pushing tempos to the edge of human capability, and favoring modal tunings that create a dark, spooky mountain sound. Speed? Yes. Volume? Absolutely. Precision? Somehow, also yes.

Often seen wielding his signature Gibson Scruggs Mastertone banjo—affectionately nicknamed “Banj-shee”—Jake delivers banjo breaks that turn heads, drop jaws, and occasionally cause audience members to rethink their seating choices.

Fast fingers, mountain tunings, and volume set to ‘legend'.

Austin Wood – Guitar & Vocals

Florida born and raised, Austin Wood brings a bold, modern edge to Trouble Creek Music—one shaped as much by grit and groove as by tradition. Self-taught and fiercely independent, Austin picked up the guitar at just nine years old and has spent the past twelve years developing a sound that refuses to sit still.

Before bluegrass entered the picture, Austin’s musical world was rooted in rock, blues, and metal, drawing inspiration from heavy hitters like Deftones and Pantera. That influence still shows up in his playing today—in the attack, the tone, and the fearless approach to dynamics. About a year ago, Austin discovered modern bluegrass, particularly the boundary-pushing style of Billy Strings, and something clicked.

Live, Austin provides variety in both sound and feel, shifting effortlessly between driving rhythm, expressive lead work, and vocals that add texture and grit to the band’s harmonies. He thrives on experimentation, blending genres in subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) ways that keep Trouble Creek’s sound fresh and unpredictable.

Austin’s playing brings an unmistakable spark—rooted in tradition, fueled by curiosity, and powered by a burning passion to explore what bluegrass can be.

Tradition in one hand, distortion in the other.

Videos

A High Energy Band - Pickin' out some Bluegrass Trouble