Straddling folk and bluegrass, Cleveland, OH's Lost State of Franklin started when founding member J. Scott Franklin was laid off in 2004. Reinventing himself as a traveling solo artist, the singer and multi-instrumentalist was invited to play at the 2006 Cash Bash in Chicago. He accepted, but a few months before the scheduled gig Franklin saw guitarist Rob Franklin Muzick perform; when Franklin asked Muzick to join him at Cash Bash, Lost State of Franklin were born. After their Chicago performance, the duo began booking more gigs, prompting Muzick to suggest adding an upright bass player to the mix. Franklin contacted David Mooser, a former rock bassist, who joined Lost State of Franklin soon after. Tyler Postma rounded out the group, and they released their first CD, Quarter to Lonely, in 2007. ~ Katherine Fulton