Eli Gilbert is a native of North Yarmouth, Maine. After seeing J.D. Crowe and the New South at a local Bluegrass festival Eli decided to pick up the banjo and eventually moved to Johnson City, Tennessee to study Bluegrass at East Tennessee State University. There he had the chance to perform as a member of Jeff Brown and Still Lonesome and the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band. Eli currently lives in Maine and performs regionally with Laura Orshaw and the New Velvet Band, Tony Watt and Southeast Expressway, and Dreamcatcher.