Wow! Static Roots hits its tenth anniversary. The intimate German festival spawned from a house concert network which had its beginnings in a birthday party where Steve Wynn provided the entertainment, celebrates a memorable decade. From a inaugural iteration with seven acts it soon expanded into a settled structure across two days in early July, attracting visitors to the Ruhrgebiet from across the continent and even further afield.

Last year saw another expansion of sorts; the line-up stayed the same comfortable size – twelve acts over two days – but a second room at Oberhausen’s Zentrum Altenberg was utilised increasing capacity. It also saw the traditional ad hoc Thursday night gathering of attendees become the Static Roots Welcome Night. Along with the well-established Static Ruhr Tour – mystery tour/cultural outing/good lunch – on the Friday morning this all helped in cementing a cohort who return every year.

Such is the trust in the booking instincts of Static Roots supremo Dietmar Leibecke that tickets fly out even before the line-up is announced, and while the purchasers may be occasionally surprised they are never let down. For this year’s celebratory event Dietmar didn’t attempt to do anything arch or clever; he simply signed up another cracking set of artists with the usual mix of well-established favourites and Oberhausen debutantes.

Looking down the bill of fare the one concession to history is Canadian folk-rocker Leeroy Stagger. The story is now well-known. Steve Wynn planted the seed by telling Dietmar he should host house concerts; Dietmar heard Leeroy’s Depression River album, and being particularly struck by the song ‘Carol’ he decided ‘if we’re ever going to do a house concert, it’s gotta be this guy!’. To make it feasible he arranged a few more similar shows across Germany, and the rest is history.

These days Leeroy is deeply-rooted in the Canadian music scene. An alt.country songwriter in the Prine and Earle lineage who can also rock out. He now reflectively describes himself as ‘a Human having a Human experience as a Writer, Performer, Producer, Radio Host, Recovering Alcoholic, Buddhist, Trail Runner, Husband and Father’. His most recent release 2024’s 3 AM Revelations involved a host of name musicians including Attraction Pete Thomas, Suzie Ungerleider, Dennis Dilsworth, and Jay Malinowski. Tellingly he commented: “We were referencing lots of Replacements and Lemonheads with this record, Joel Plaskett stopped in a handful of times and offered up his expertise on the production of the era and encouraged me to let go of my inhibitions and finish the album “. By the time he gets to Oberhausen the new Pilgrimage set, produced by Plaskett, should be available.

Welcome returnees are the Texan cow-punkers Vandoliers, who keep the flag flying for what back in the day we liked to call insurgent country. Formerly a Bloodshot act the band appeared at the first post-pandemic festival on the verge of self-releasing an eponymous collection and they’ve been on quite a trip in the interim. Taking stands where the personal meets the political, playing a show in drag to oppose Tennessee’s ban on such, set frontwoman Jenni Rose to address a host of issues. The Vandoliers was followed up by last year’s impressive Life Behind Bars produced by Ted Hutt; a raucous affair pulling no punches with song titles like ‘Bible Belt’, and ‘Thoughts And Prayers’. More recently the digital drop ‘Girl On The Run’ addresses the new realities of trans life; Rose told the Dallas Voice “It’s the most important song I’ve ever written”.

Hailing from the Bay Area the Nashville-based soulful honkytonker Emily Nenni cites Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, and Linda Ronstadt as influences. Prolific over the last few years the recent Memphis-recorded Movin’ Shoes is her fourth full-length and second produced by John James Tourville of The Deslondes.

As usual there’s a Scandinavian element present. Silver Lining is a meeting of members of two well-established Nordicana acts; The Northern Belle and Louien – the latter graced Static Roots 2024. Joining forces a decade back for a Gillian Welch tribute they quickly realised their combined potential. A predominantly acoustic first album in 2018 Heart And Mind Alike established their profile. Then for 2022’s Go Out Nowhere they drafted in the rhythm section from instrumental trio Orions Belt for a more funky sound that drew comparisons with Aaron Lee Tasjan. Lately they’ve digitally released Four Little Songs; a covers collection including takes on Jason Isbell’s ‘If We Were Vampires’, and coming full circle Welch’s ‘One Little Song’. A pair of stunning singers in Live Miranda Solberg (Louien) and Stine Andreassen ( The Northern Belle) along with the more astringent voice of Halvor Falck Johansen and the strings of multi-instrumentalist Bjørnar Ekse Brandseth. Also check out the recent Northern Belle single ‘There’s a Party Tonight’; a delightful sliver of country-pop.

Hailing from Ludvika a couple of hours north-west of Stockholm Jesper Lindell was a talented young footballer who lost a potential career to injury. Laid up he picked up a guitar and found a new path. A soulful voice and smart rootsy sounds found his debut album Everyday Dreams picked up by Alive Natural Sound Records. He established himself in Brunnsvik, gathering the Brunnsvik Sounds and Brunnsvik Horns as collaborators, to record 2004’s Before The Sun which included Kazzi Valazza as guest vocalist on ‘A Strange Goodbye’. The album carried a definite turn of the 70s/Big Pink vibe; something he’s now further leaned into with a pair of homages – to Muscle Shoals and Memphis – with the complementary 3614 Jackson Highway and Royal – recorded in situ and covering such classics as Dan Penn’s ‘If Love Was Money’ and ‘Rainbow Road’, ‘I Can’t Stand The Rain’, and ‘The Letter’.

Julianna Riolino began to make waves touring as part of Daniel Romano’s band and often opening for him. Her debut album All Blue released in 2022 saw comparisons with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt flying around. Then with 2025’s Echo In The Dust came a rockier sound, like Tom Petty was added to the mix, as guitarists Alex Edkins (Weird Nightmare, METZ) and Sean Thompson guested.

Recently spotted opening for Lucinda Williams who has described him as a ‘true poet’ and headlining a Loose Music night at London’s Betsey Trotwood Ben De La Cour has had a slow burn of a career which seems suddenly to be turning into a mighty conflagration. Jim White, who produced his last-but-one album Sweet Anhedonia, suggested “Ben’s brain is a temple of exotic monkeys drunk on fermented mango juice stolen from a reprobate Jesuit”, and he doesn’t shy away from the Americanoir coinage now attached to him. Latest release New Roses started out in late night sessions building songs with synths and loops; there’s some fiddle from Billy Contreras and trumpet from Josh Klein and some female vocals but otherwise it’s all him. Titles like ‘The Appalachan Book Of The Dead’, ‘The Devil Came Down To Silverlake’ – a nod to Charlie Daniels there– and ‘Stuart Little Killed God (on 2nd Ave)’ surface from a mind familiar with Cormac McCarthy, H.P. Lovecraft, and William Shakespeare.

Originally part of the country-rock band The Gillyflowers, then releasing a more poppy eponymous set in 2015, Kirsten Adamson’s pure Celtic country voice drew notice while half of The Marriage with Dave Burn; their Imagining Sunsets collection arriving in late 2020. Then followed the Dean Owens-produced solo set Landing Place, a highlight of which – ‘My Father’s Songs’ – was nominated for the UK Americana song of the year award in 2024. Last year’s Dreamviewer saw multi-instrumentalist Joe Harvey-Whyte taking on production duties for an impressive cluster of songs of grief and experience, and notable co-writes with Burn and Owens; ‘Perfume’ and the title track respectively. Her father was Stuart Adamson of Big Country and The Skids.

Purveying a lush and dreamy cosmic country Catalan singer Joana Serrat varied, explored, and honed her sound employing a host of notable producers and musicians such as Neil Halstead, Israel Nash, Joey McLlellan and McKenzie Smith from Midlake across a trio of albums – Cross The Verge, Dripping Springs, and Hardcore From The Heart – made for Loose Music over a five year period. Then for her Grand Canyon release Big Wave she hooked up with Matt Pence (Centromatic/South San Gabriel) at his Echo Lab Studio in Denton, setting forth on wilder sonic adventures that would bring her best ever notices. These days based in London her current band features two former Hanging Stars – Paulie Cobra and Sam Fermin – though she remains an equally effective solo performer.

With brothers Joe and Robin Bennett as their solid centre The Dreaming Spires have been a notable presence in British alt.country for two decades. Calling them a jangly, melodic, sensitive, pop-country band is all perfectly true but still falls a little short. They’d previously flirted with major label success as Goldrush before resurfacing after the Truck Records crash as the Spires. Brothers In Brooklyn and Searching For The Supertruth featured a cornucopia of knowing, witty but ultimately tuneful keepers: ‘Not Every Song From The Sixties Is A Classic’, ‘Strength Of Strings’, and ‘Dusty In Memphis’ being prime examples. The Paisley Overground mini-album then highlighted songs recorded at Ardent Studio along with tracks from among others Sid Griffin and The Hanging Stars. A recording hiatus followed as Robin joined Bennett Wilson Poole and Joe served as musical director for Pete Gow; the pair also being integral parts of Saint Etienne’s live line-up. 2025 finally saw Normal Town emerge, with the band now a five-piece with Jamie Dawson on drums, Nick ‘Growler’ Garrow on guitar, and Tom Collinson on keyboards, for a maturer album retaining their sound but more reflective of their Oxfordshire roots.

Irish-born Canadian folk singer Irish Mythen’s popularity has literally been measured. When attendees at the prestigious Mariposa Folk Festival were polled on who they’d like to see back again they came third – behind Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot! Recording since 2008 with Little Bones being the most recent release, and like its predecessor nominated for ECMA and Juno awards. Passionate, forthright, and quite likely to dig into the Irish canon given her excellent readings of ‘Raglan Road’ and ‘The Auld Triangle’.

Jerry Joseph has been playing in bands since the early 80s; early ensembles being the white punk reggae Little Women, and Stockholm Syndrome with Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools. He’s fronted The Jackmormons on and off for three decades. At heart a provocative rocker whose abrasive edge chimes with the jam band crowds, he manifests the spirit of Neil Young at his wildest and has a fistful of Widespread Panic composition credits. He broke cover in 2020 with The Beautiful Madness, produced by Patterson Hood and backed by Drive By-Truckers; songs like ‘Sugar Smacks’ and ‘Dead Confederate’ putting dysfunctional America in a choke-hold. More recently came Panther Tracks Vol. 1 the first in a series revisiting and studio-recording songs often only recorded live. For this appearance he’s joined by Sweden’s The Dimpker Brothers.

At Static Roots half the fun is in the hang and the courtyard of the old zinc factory inevitably remains lively late into Saturday night. The Kilkenny duo Small Change will be back again to lead the late-night entertainment. Another returning Kilkenny band are The Southern Fold. Emlyn Holden’s alt.folk meets gothic country blues ensemble are playing this year’s Welcome Night being held at the JuBB in Essen, and run in conjunction with JukeJoint500 Records the current imprint of Glitterhouse Records founder Reinhard Holstein. JJ500 are imminently releasing the band’s Welcome To The Valley album and this night celebrates that.


Visit the Static Roots website for further information, festival history, and to purchase tickets.