Fresh off their big win in the 2025 RockyGrass Band Competition, Slay & Stinson joined Riley Ann backstage to share their excitement and introduce the full band. Known for their strong songwriting, tight harmonies, and energetic performances, the group reflected on their journey from competing at Telluride to finding their voice as a band. With an album already out (Product of Colorado), more music on the way, and a special Longmont show with Jeremy Garrett of the Infamous Stringdusters, Slay & Stinson are riding high and ready for their RockyGrass 2026 main stage debut.
Riley Ann: That’s right—welcome, Slay & Stinson!
Slay & Stinson: Thank you.
Riley Ann: Congratulations! What an incredible band contest this year. How was that experience—what was the emotional journey like for you?
Slay & Stinson: Nerve-wracking! We’re used to just playing music every week, doing our thing, and then all of a sudden you realize—okay, this is a big one. It definitely amps up the pressure a little bit.
Riley Ann: I love it. Well, you guys were great. Scott, do you want to take a second and introduce the band for us?
Slay & Stinson: Sure. You probably can’t see him, but over here on my left, playing the best bass I know—Mr. Chunk “The Flunk” Rourke.
Riley Ann: Over here!
Slay & Stinson: That’s right, to your left and our right—Nick Einhorn. He wrote all of our best songs. And then there’s our banjo player, Scott Slay. He has competed in this contest and at RockyGrass more than 10 times, probably, if you include different instruments. But today he finally takes home the blue ribbon.
He used to keep a second-place ribbon in his case from a few years ago, and I’m so happy I don’t have to see that anymore. [laughs] And I want to introduce you to the newest member of the band—this is Carson. What’s your last name again?
Carson: McKainey.
Slay & Stinson: See? I’m so new to him he doesn’t even know my last name yet! I’d never seen this guy before in my life, but he played fiddle, and really, he took us over the top. There’s nobody who can play like Carson. If you listened to the individual competitions, he played Manzanita—Tony Rice—on fiddle. He transcribed all the notes Tony Rice played on guitar and put it on fiddle, which is amazing.
Carson: Well, I just get really lucky to play with a lot of bands around Colorado since moving here two years ago. But this band is really special—they write incredible original music, and their vocal harmonies are some of the best in the state. It’s a huge privilege to play with them and create the art we get to make together. You never know what to expect at these contests, so we just went up there, did our best, tried to shred hard—and it worked out.
Slay & Stinson: He did shred hard! [laughs] We actually first put this band together to compete at Telluride a couple of years ago, and it was a blast. Since then we’ve been focused on really being a band—writing, getting residencies, connecting with fans. That makes an experience like this even more special, because it’s not just about the competition. It’s about representing what we do—and tomorrow, we’ll keep doing it.
Riley Ann: I love that. I was impressed by your performance, especially your song selection. I was pleasantly surprised you did a slower instrumental. Tell me about the psychology behind your choices.
Slay & Stinson: That goes back to Telluride, actually. We wrote a tune specifically for that competition. Our fiddle player Andy Reiner, who writes with us and records with us, helped finish it off. We’re big fans of rock music and Irish fiddle tunes, and that piece kind of sits right at that intersection. So we’re glad you noticed the slower, soulful Irish tune.
Riley Ann: It was beautiful. And for those tuned into our livestream, if you weren’t in the Wildflower Pavilion, check out our Instagram and Facebook for a montage of the prelims yesterday. We also just posted highlights from today’s final round. Quick turnaround—well done!
Slay & Stinson: Thank you! And yes, we actually scheduled this way in advance, but we’ll be on KGNU next Saturday morning. That’s pretty cool. We also have a show we’re really excited about—Jeremy Garrett from the Infamous Stringdusters is joining us in Longmont, the last Saturday of August, at Parkway Food Hall. We’d love to see folks out there—it’s going to be special.
Riley Ann: Oh, I love Jeremy Garrett’s fiddle playing. That will be a fantastic show. For listeners who want to hear more of your music or find show info, where can they go?
Slay & Stinson: We’re active on Instagram—Slay & Stinson—and on Facebook. Our music is on all streaming platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, wherever you listen. We put out an album last year called Product of Colorado, and we’ve got more music coming out soon.
Riley Ann: We’re so excited to hear it. Congratulations again on a huge win, and we can’t wait to see your opening set next year at RockyGrass. And don’t miss Slay & Stinson on KGNU next Saturday on Neil’s show. Coming up on the main stage here at RockyGrass—Lindsay Lou at 3:15. You know that’s going to be incredible. Thanks for listening, live from RockyGrass on KGNU Boulder/Denver.
