Overview
In 2019 a few friends, late at night and exhausted from a full day playing music at a music festival, decided to do something different: force those around us to sing sea shanties. We cant say if in that moment it was beautiful music, but it was memorable, and most of all, fun. (And somehow they all remained friends with us).
Fast forward, and The Strongbacks Shanty Choir regularly performs across the country, despite its 5 members living in 5 different states and three time zones.
We have a released album on Spotify, YouTube, and other major platforms titled The Strongbacks. We annually perform at the following festivals: Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau, Alaska; Walnut Valley Music Festival, Winfield, KS. We can also be spotted at the Portland Old Time Gathering.
Curated History
There is a Kickstarter fundraiser for this group's first album.
It appears that as of 24 Apr 2026 the only way to reach this group is via their Instagram account or the above Kickstarter fundraiser.
Video
Recordings:
Band Members
Blake Jones Brendan Best Evan Coombs John Lauber Tim Borden Lela Wofford-Best (manager)