A violin-led cabaret rock band from Greenville, SC, with original songs inspired by Eastern European folk.

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 and the gritty end of old cabaret, with a doctorate in sociology between them to sharpen the songs about money and class. Driving violin 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. 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); Dragon Con five times, most recently 2023 to 2025; 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: circus, fire, and dance 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