About Old Salt

Old Salt is a transatlantic folk band weaving together original and traditional roots music, blending Appalachian and Northeastern U.S. folk with European melodies and Balkan-inspired rhythms. Based in Ghent, Belgium, and Berlin, Germany, the group has been active since 2015, shaped by the diverse cultural backgrounds of its members from the USA, Belgium, France, and Chile, along with former collaborators from Sweden and Scotland.

Their sound is characterized by dynamic instrumental work, heartfelt harmonies, and rhythmic storytelling that bridges the Atlantic. Whether reimagining traditional tunes or crafting original songs, Old Salt brings a raw, acoustic energy that reflects both their American folk roots and their European sensibilities.

In 2017, they received the “European World of Bluegrass” award, and have since continued to expand their reach across Europe with their distinctive cross-cultural folk sound.They successfully mix the session with stage and street to bring a folk sound with grit, dynamic, spontaneity and tight arrangements.

Currently Old Salt performs as a quartet featuring:

Dan Wall (USA): Lead Vocals - Banjo - Violin 

Lotte Remmen (Belgium): Violin - Vocals

Johannes Wannyn (Belgium): Guitar - Vocals

Toby Kuhn (France): Cello or Tomás Peralta (Chile): Double Bass, Mandolin, Dobro, Charango
 

Biography

The band met back In the summer of 2013 when Dan Wall, a then carpenter and street musician from New York, found his way to the world music conference Etno HistEria and to the Floating Castle Festival in the Istria region of Slovenia. During this two week period he met and collaborated with talented and inspiring musicians from around the globe, some of whom backed him up on his first festival show.  Among them were later-to-be Old Salt members Anton Teljebäck, Dave Barfoot, Lotte Remmen and Johannes Wannyn. 

Not long after their adventures in Slovenia, they were met again in February 2014 when invited to a music festival in Umeå (Sweden).  This road led finally to Ghent (Belgium), where bass player Lara Rosseel joined the group. In 2016 Old Salt released their first album Up River Overseas, which was recorded in Umeå.

In 2017, French cellist Toby Kuhn entered the band during the selfsame Floating Castle Festival in Slovenia, where the band was formed. The same year the band won the European World of Bluegrass Award in Voorthuizen (NL) with an overwhelming live performance.  In the summer of 2018 they recorded their second album Commons as a septet with former band members Anton Teljebäck and Dave Barfoot. The album was released in June 2019 and took off with two singles, Grow and Shades. In 2020, Berlin-based double bass player Tomás Peralta joined the Old Salt family. Ready to cross new borders the band members were excited to start touring Europe in 2020, when they saw their Commons release tour fall flat as the pandemic hit. Old Salt went back to studio in 2021 and recorded a live EP as a quartet, Live in Room 13. Old Salt just released their third full album Bindle in May 2025.

Old Salt has performed as a septet on several occasions, but today they perform as a quartet featuring the core trio with Dan, Johannes and Lotte, joined by Toby or Tomás.  Between street performing, numerous festival stages and folk venues the momentum has naturally grown to bring them to the fore as a band that pushes the limits of folk music.