About

Up and coming musical duo from Michigan, Futuretime String Band features traditional folk music with a twist from the future adding diverse sounds and musical elements from other cultures and genres. 

 

Futuretime String Band approaches styles like Bluegrass, Oldtime, and Irish music with a lens from the future. They aim to create a new sound that comes from beyond our time and space, while also following through on their mission to continue to uplift traditional folk music into the future. This paradoxical experience is the stage act: Futuretime String Band. 

Their music features Keala Venema (fiddle, guitar, vocals) and Lino Venema (guitar, flute, vocals, and occasionally traditional Japanese instrument Shamisen), the duo is award winning in an Irish music competition, the Midwest Fleadh, winning 1st place duo and going to compete in the international All-Ireland Fleadh held in Ireland as well in August 2025. They also have an extensive experience performing in other groups (Whorled, Candid Antics, Trillium) and have won awards such as Album of the Year through the WYCE Jammies through these other groups.

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Hailing as time travellers from the future, they sing songs of the future and past, what’s to come and what’s been. Both members draw from many inspirations, including but not limited to John Coltrane, Foghorn String Band, Billy Strings, and more.