Greenville cabaret rock, violin folk, gypsy rock, dark cabaret, Eastern European folk.

Violin-led cabaret rock from Greenville, South Carolina.

Wasted Wine plays cabaret rock built on virtuosic violin, minor keys, and instrumental melodies catchy enough to work as a second chorus. Co-founders Robert Gowan and Adam Murphree - both classically trained multi-instrumentalists - have written the songs together for twenty years, drawing on Eastern European folk tunes and the gritty end of old cabaret, with a doctorate in sociology between them to sharpen the songs about money and class. Driving folk reels, slow hypnotic ballads, theatrical numbers sung with a villain's relish, long progressive excursions, and a streak of dark old country, all cut and assembled by hand the same way the band makes its album covers - Wasted Wine calls it collage theatre. Bob Boilen of NPR's All Songs Considered called the result "a bastard child of David Lynch and Nick Cave."

Their seventh album, The Open Door, is named for the true story of Julia Legare of Edisto Island, whose mausoleum door would not stay closed. It runs from the surf-driven "Cold Blooded" to "Saturday Nights," the sin-and-salvation sing-along that has closed their shows for years, with Maddy Hendrix's flute - the band's second lead voice - front and center on several of its songs. It is the closest thing on record to how the band actually sounds in a room.

"A bastard child of David Lynch and Nick Cave." - Bob Boilen, NPR's All Songs Considered

"A bouncy burlesque-style romp." - Vincent Harris

"A window into a world where tragedy and love collide under the watchful eye of some old forest witch that can't stop grinning." - alt77, on "Sorry to Report"

At a glance

Years / records. 20 years. 7 studio albums. New record: The Open Door (2026).

Draw. Packed rooms at Fireforge (Greenville); DragonCon four consecutive years; Artisphere, Fall for Greenville, and Downtown Alive across many years; regional history in Asheville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia, Charleston, and Athens.

Lineup. 4-piece, self-contained. Robert Gowan (vocals, violin), Adam Murphree (vocals, bouzouki), Maddy Hendrix (bass, flute, vocals), Michael Leach (drums). All four are multi-instrumentalists; bass and bouzouki change hands so the flute or violin can step forward.

Formats. Standard club or brewery set. Full cabaret evenings with guest performers (burlesque, circus, fire) available several times a year - ask if you want that night, do not assume it is the default.

For fans of. Gogol Bordello, DeVotchKa, Tom Waits, The Decemberists, Dresden Dolls.

Contact. wastedwine@gmail.com / Connect

Private engagements

Weddings, house concerts, and other private rooms are available. Write wastedwine@gmail.com with the subject line private engagement and the date, city, and shape of the night.

Press photos

Current four-piece, red-curtain set, 2026. Credit: Wasted Wine. Portrait, looking up / Portrait, facing camera

Watch

Until the "Sorry to Report" film premieres in October 2026, the public picture of the band is "Eccentric Millionaire": the official video, and a full live performance (also in the Watch Us section on this page).