Mojo Holler weaves threads from mountain ranges to the Mississippi Delta into a tapestry of indie folk rock. Mister Baker channels innate genius through lap steel, slide, dobro and other acoustic guitars. Missi is a genuine Appalachian ‘Mountain Mama’ whose vocals and hand percussion bring burning intensity to each song. The notable Northwest musician and songwriter, Randy Yearout (of Tracey Fordice Band), joined Mojo Holler in 2023 on bass, mandolin, and other acoustic guitars. Willamette Week, in its 2023 Best of Portland issue, said of the band, “They sing about Mississippi boat queens, trains, juke joints, church bells—all things backwoods—with devotion and delicacy.”

 

Their recent album, ROOT, is an acoustic reverie on remorse and redemption. Their 2014 debut album, Where Black Ravens Flew, is a progressive folk rock opera. You can find and buy both albums on Bandcamp.

 

The band formed in 2012 as the wife/husband duo Missi & Mister Baker. Their debut album, Where Black Ravens Flew, led to a showcase performance at South By Southwest in 2016. Louis Black, SXSW founder and former editor of The Austin Chronicle, said of the pair: “Why Missi had to move to Portland from Austin in order for The Bakers to channel their inner Mississippi Fred McDowell, I do not know.  But she did, and they did.”  

 

Jackpot Recording producer and Tape Op Magazine publisher Larry Crane says the pair’s Americana-styled original songs were some of his favorites.  “Missi’s fabulous voice, along with Mister Baker’s deft fretwork, brings the whole show home.” Crane has served as the band’s go-to mixing engineer since their inception.

 

The late Lisa Lepine, a Portland legend in music promotion, said of their mission:  “They weave their dark, modern spirituals from shared roots in magic, ‘mericana, and metaphysics.  Mister Baker, like Robert Johnson before him, may have made a deal with the devil -- channeling an innate genius through lap steel, slide and dobro.  Missi’s earthy voice brings burning intensity to each song.  Picture them sitting knee-to-knee on a Southern Delta, watching the dark moon rise and singing from their eternal souls.”

On the release of their album, ROOT, Nathan Moore, the folk music guitarist and singer-songwriter and founding band member of ThaMuseMeant and Surprise Me Mister Davis said: "I love this record! A common question for an act making a record is: will it be a fantasy or will it sound like reality? And if the answer is 'a fantasy,' the next question is: How will we play it live? Mojo Holler has walked the line brilliantly. This record sounds at once fully produced and live. No small feat! And it’s not the only great balance they’ve struck. Origin and destination. Sin and salvation. Root and blossom. Missi and John! I feel like they were right here while they transported me somewhere far away.”