Next- Generation Jammers
Tri-State Area

The legendary Col. Bruce Hampton saw 10-year-old guitarist Brandon Niederauer on Jam Cruise in 2014 and made it his mission to help him form a band. In the following months, Hampton—whose keen eye for talent led to the formation of The Aquarium Rescue Unit in the early ‘90s and helped shepherd Derek Trucks—connected Niederauer with a longtime friend’s son, 12-year-old singer and guitarist Nick Winegardner. The two preteens then added Niederauer’s brother, Dylan, on bass and snagged drummer Henry Thomas, the youngest winner of a Connecticut talent show. The quartet began jamming under the name Lions on the Moon, and immediately gelled, says Winegardner, who is now 14. Nearly two years later, the band has already played with a long list of jamband heavyweights, like Oteil Burbridge, Eric Krasno and Warren Haynes. In October, Lions On The Moon released their first, eponymous album, produced by Terry Manning, whose résumé includes work with Otis Redding and Led Zeppelin. The record consists of 14 original tunes, mostly written by Winegardner, which draw from a noticeable mix of rock, blues and pop influences. Improvisation, Winegardner says, has been instrumental in the band’s development, as well as his own: “Jamming is a really important part of live shows, rehearsals, and my journey going from some kid  who writes two-minute songs to being a guy who loves to stretch out and explore different techniques and sounds during songs.”