SeaStar is a Celtic folk music band
based in Seattle, Washington.

SeaStar originally formed in 2007, when songwriter Fae Wiedenhoeft began performing original, Celtic-influenced material with fellow guitarist Doug Hayman. These early shows consisted of performances at coffeehouses and smaller clubs in the Pacific Northwest, as well as appearances at the Northwest Folklife Festival and the Yakima Folklife Festival. The group's debut album, SeaStar Blue was recorded in 2008. In 2009, the duo released SeaStar Black with a mix of experimental material.

In 2010, the duo met Michael Falcone at the Blue November MicroFilmFest, who joined the group as a percussionist. Violinist Geli Wuernzer and bass guitarist Adam Chambers joined the band later that same year. Hayman left the band in early 2011.

"An exceptionally strong vocalist..."
- San Diego Troubadour
SeaStar returned to perform at the Northwest Folklife Festival and the Yakima Folklife Festival with this reconfigured lineup. Additionally, the group played numerous clubs in the Seattle area, including the Sunset Tavern, High Dive, The Rendezvous, The Skylark, and The Comet Tavern. The band also started an avid following on the North and East side of King County. In 2011, the group recorded and released the album Home, produced by Pat Sample at Paradise Sound studio in Index, Washington. Production and recording of this album was paid largely in part by 75 friends and fans of the group. The album was dedicated to the memory of Wiedenhoeft's father, Richard.

Wuernzer left SeaStar in early 2012 to pursue other projects, leaving the remaining members to continue performing as a trio. Falcone expanded his role in the group as a keyboardist and vocalist, in addition to providing percussion. The band toured Europe with this modified lineup, playing at the Pan Celtic International Music Festival in Carlow, Ireland. This trip proved influential in creating new material and harbored a tour film called The Dublin Three.

Upon returning to the United States, SeaStar performed with several session musicians, including guitarist T.C. Cochran and clarinetist Ben Smith, in an effort to capitalize on the new, experimental material they started writing during the Ireland trip. In late 2012, Wiedenhoeft briefly toured in Turkey, to promote her album Christmas Tapestry ~ East Meets West. She played at the Harvest Festival in Goreme, Turkey as well as other small venues/hotels in Istanbul and Selçuk.

In the start of 2013, Kelly Blanchard, creator and front man of Blue Star Creeper, joined SeaStar after playing several shows with them. The band recorded their follow up release North Winds on analogue reel to reel tape at Green Arbor Studios. Mastered by Seattle music pioneer, Chris Hanzsek, North Winds was released in October of 2013 to popular and critical acclaim. The album, featured on Guitar Center Singer Songwriter 3 and the No Depression music site, became album of the week on Celtic Music Radio (Feb 2014). It also won the Robert Kotta Songwriting Contest for the song "Sailor". The album quickly sold out its initial stock in Scotland and on CD Baby. Wiedenhoeft's nuanced, classically-trained vocals and song-writing backed by Blanchard's dreamy, pop-infused guitar and vocals set a lavish table for Falcone's vocal harmonies and piano/percussion work, with all of it grounded by classic-rock-rooted bass player Chambers' warm and mellifluous fret work. The band returned to Europe in late 2013 playing to thousands of music fans from twenty-two different countries at the Perthshire Amber Music Festival in Scotland. The concert took place at Perth Hall, where musicians the likes of Van Morrison have played. The tour was captured again on film and SeaStar released SeaStar Takes Scotland in March 2014.

In summer of 2014, Fae traveled to Poland to teach music at a fine arts English immersion camp in Załęcze Wielkie through the Kościuszko Foundation of New York. While at the camp Nadwarciański Gr?d, she wrote "The Camp Song" and it was performed by 128 of her students. The song is still used by the Kościuszko Foundation to help promote their Teaching English in Poland programs. Towards the end of 2014, Ron Allen, guitarist for Wynne C. Blue and Her Troublefakers, played a few shows while Kelly was traveling. In December 2014, Kelly parted ways with SeaStar to continue work on his own project, Blue Star Creeper. Ron Allen joined SeaStar full time and his Celtic nuanced playing style became a wonderful compliment to the band. Allen, who is a gifted sound engineer, recorded and mixed Fae's solo album, Castle Walls, released November 2014.

In 2015, Fae toured in London and Paris and continue to bring the music of SeaStar to the world. Fae won the Robert Kotta Songwriting Contest for the song "The Little Western". Fae also received an Honourable Mention by the Woody Guthrie Festival for her song "Bittersweet Rubbish". In the summer of 2015, SeaStar filmed their second music video for the song, "Gypsy". The also set sail on the Trainwreck of Glitter Tour that brought them to Idaho and Utah. In the fall of 2015, SeaStar returned to Paradise Sound Studio in Index, WA and begain recording their third studio album.

In early 2016, Fae returned to Celtic Connections Music Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, to play on the Danny Kyle Stage. The time in Scotland planted many seeds for songwriting and when she returned she wrote the title track for the new album, "Never Go Back". Fae received the 2nd prize award for "The Little Western", from the annual Seattle Maritime Festival Stories of the Sea sponsored by Seattle Propeller Club, Port of Seattle, Pacific Marine Expo, and National Fishman Magazine. By late June, SeaStar completed recording of their new album. Never Go Back, featuring the award winning song, "The Little Western" as well as many new songs with an Americana and Roots edge.

In 2017, the band continued to play across the Pacific Northwest. Fae received the 1st prize award for her song, "The Sailor", from the annual Seattle Maritime Festival Stories of the Sea sponsored by Seattle Propeller Club, Port of Seattle, Pacific Marine Expo, and National Fishman Magazine. In July, Fae returned to Poland to teach guitar and ukulele at Nadwarciański Gr?d. Upon her return, the band set out to Ocean Shores, WA to record a "live" record called Sinners and Angels, a collection of pub favorites and a few originals. In October, SeaStar celebrated their 10 year anniversary with a reunion show with Geli and Kelly. The show was well attended and was a true testament to the good natured folks who have played in this Seattle band. A week later, Fae and Seattle's Gaelic Choir, Seirm, traveled to Scotland to compete in the Royal National Mod, Scotland's premiere Gaelic festival, in Fort William. In December, Ron retired from his musical adventures in SeaStar and, his other long term band, Wynne C Blue and her Troublefakers.

2018 found SeaStar playing with many musical friends like, fiery 7-string fiddler, Joel Gamble; gypsy jazz guitarist, John Anderson; and guitarist/composer from the band The Ginger Ups, David Tieman. They started the year off with a bang playing the Auburn Ave Theater, then a multitude of St. Paddy's Day gigs, and a featured act billing at Victoria Folk Music Society's Norway House. In June, SeaStar released their fourth album, "Sinners and Angel". They went on to play many festivals throughout the summer, including the Tumbleweed Music Festival where Fae was awarded the Audience Choice Award and Second Place for her song "No Roots For Me" in the Jane Titland Memorial Songwriting Contest. This was shortly after she was awarded First Place in the Robert Kotta Songwriting Contest for her song "Fishing". Fae was ever so grateful for recognition for her songwriting.

2019 began quietly and diligently as the trio prepared for their featured spot in Galway Bay's ABC Festival in Ocean Shores, Washington. They had a busy Springtime with many St. Patrick's Day gigs and concerts. The trio made it back to Paradise Sound Studio in Index, WA to begin recording on their fifth album. In May, Fae was awarded First Place at the Stories of the Sea Contest sponsored by the Seattle Maritime Festival and the Propeller Club. She then went to Poland to teach once again at the English immersion Fine Arts camp in Zalecze. She had an incredible time teaching guitar, ukulele, and voice to 60+ high school level students and interacting with all 101 campers. The closing ceremonies featured all 101 students and 30+ staff members singing the camp song she wrote in 2014. This was a sentimental time as Fae's high school drama teacher, mentor, friend, and director of the camp for the last 12 years, Thomas Rusnak, passed away in February that year. Fae took the reins of some of the directorial duties and made did her best to have a fitting send off. Fae returned in late July to the news that she was in the top ten finalists of the Jane Titland Songwriting Contest once again! The band played as a featured performer as well as a contestant in the contest over Labour Day Weekend.

2020 was a weird and wild time.... but it brought Ron Allen back to SeaStar. In late November of 2020, while everyyone was distancing at home, Fae wrote the song "Distance Christmas". She called upon Ron to see if he would be interested in mixing some remote recordings from Fae, Captain, and Falcone (because we couldn't all be together pre-vaccine), and he said "YES!". He even put a killer solo on the heart breaking song. The song was released and it was a tonic to many across the land.

2021 and onward... The SeaStar family is back together in its strongest of forms. They showup, put on a good show, and try to keep folks smiling in this very strange yet beautiful world.

SeaStar is a band equally at home playing music in intimate settings as well as large televised concerts. The band continues to push limits and takes chances. Each show has a colourful and different feel. SeaStar values its time with its fans and strives to keep it fresh, authentic, and exciting!


Fae Wiedenhoeft
Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Penny Whistles, Bodhran

With a velvet voice, a hearty laugh, and the traditions of the Celtic winds, Fae takes her listeners on a musical journey through history and tradition. Originally from Chicago, Fae's musical beginnings include singing John Denver songs with her sister, Cathy, on a half sized guitar and giving concerts to the squirrels in her backyard, using a broom as her microphone. She went on to study and perform in many musical theatre productions in the heart of Chicago. Her talent brought her to the West Coast where she began performing Celtic music professionally. After a brief move to the mid-west where she continued to perform and write songs, Fae returned to the West Coast, Seattle, and performed and produced over two dozen album with original content since 2006. Her music has been heard all over the world. She has toured in the most interesting places, including an Australian/Turkish Pub in Central Turkey for an audience of balloon pilots. Fae has won many awards for songwriting and is a voting member of the Grammy Association. When she is not writing songs or performing, Fae teaches voice, guitar, ukulele, Celtic Studies, and songwriting lessons in her studio, Syren's Voice. SeaStar was created by Fae in 2007 to showcase her music with her musical friends.

Michael Falcone
Percussion, Keys, Vocals

Michael Falcone began making music at the age of seven on his aunt's baby grand piano. In the early '90s, he began making home recordings with one-time collaborator David T. Lukes on the Korg M1 keyboard, where he learned the art of sequencing, multi-tracking, and MIDI sound production. After joining the band Neon Wilderness in 1992, Michael toured various music venues in the Chicago area before branching out to record his own music shortly after under the name of Maestro Bizarro. In the twenty-first century, Michael played hand percussion in the Pacific Northwest with world music group Hejira, klezmer music group Klezterbalm, marching bands The Antifascist Marching Band, and others, until finally finding a home with the folk/celtic group In his spare time, he is a filmmaker, voice-over artist and film location scout. He also likes cats.

Captain Chambers
Bass Guitar

Captain (born Adam Shea Chambers) grew up in the early Seventies Midwest, lying on a shag carpet in the midst of vinyl records, eight track tapes and FM radio. The music surrounding him came from Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan and Heart, with anecdotes of R&B, Motown and Pop yet always rooted deeply in the timeless grove of Rock and Roll. He is an aficionado of Rock, Metal and New Wave. Captain wields the electric bass as his musical interpreter. Captain is also a film maker, poet, and novelist. He is active in the film communities of Seattle and Tulsa. He is also the director and creator of the Blue November MicroFilmFest.

Ron Allen
Electric, Slide, and Acoustic Guitar

Ron Allen is a guitarist, singer and songwriter, and owner of Four Lumen Studio in Kirkland, Washington. He first met SeaStar at a little cafe on a summer afternoon when he approached Fae to open for his old band, Wynne C Blue and Her Troublefakers. A musical friendship and alliance developed. Ron mixed SeaStar's album North Winds and recorded, mixed, and produced Fae's solo album Castle Walls. He also recorded, mixed, and co-produced SeaStar's Sinners and Angels (2018) and mixed several songs on Gold, Rust & Bone (2022)among a pleathora of SeaStar releases. He is currently recording and mixing SeaStar's newest record. Ron, born in California and raised in the high plains of the Utah Rockies, remembers hours and hours of playing his parents' records and 8-track tapes on their giant RCA console stereo. Waylon, Willie, Tammy, Loretta, Patsy, Freddy Fender, Tanya Tucker, Elvis, Johnny Horton, Mac Davis, Ray Price, Charlie Rich, and George Jones were his childhood soundtrack. These days, Ron enjoys being a producer, engineer, guitar player, joker, listener, secret-keeper, blameless jester, undercover cat lover, and ball peen hammer boy in and around Seattle in bands. You can find his solo music on Spotify.

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