The old-time spirit of The WIYOS mirrors that of the medicine shows of the 1920's and 30's, when black and white musical traditions mixed liberally and genre distinctions didn't exist between blues and country, ragtime and gospel, or swing and hillbilly music. Accordingly, The WIYOS write songs that are equally influenced by music from the Blue Ridge Mountains and New York City, mixing the more urbane sounds of Django Reinhardt, the Gershwin brothers and Fats Waller with the unrefined country fervor of Gary Davis, Doc Watson and Skip James. The WIYOS make music that will transport you back to an era when vaudeville performers were skilled entertainers as well as accomplished songwriters and instrumentalists. In this "pre-war" American culture, music was made for personal enjoyment and community gatherings - farmers, miners, teachers, salesmen, preachers, gamblers and traveling artists sharing songs on front porches and in town squares for the pure pleasure of making music with their hands and hearts.