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Comprised of Bassa, drummer Aaron Essner and bassist Drew Koeppel and steel guitarist Zach Naeger, the band is now getting ready to play Open Highway Music Festival on June 20-21. The upcoming performance feels like a celebration of ӣ����Ƶ’ music scene.

“I’m really proud of the other artists I know in ӣ����Ƶ,” Bassa says. “It’s incredible to share a city with so many people that I’m actual fans of, not just their personalities but the way they are as humans.”

Surtsey is one of two ӣ����Ƶ-based acts performing at the two-day festival devoted to all things country, bluegrass and more, along with Hunter Peebles and the Moonlighters and other artists from across the region. They are joined by headliners Pony Bradshaw, a Mississippi bluegrass star, and alt-country pioneers the Old 97’s.

“We’re actually really excited to be playing with Pony Bradshaw,” Bassa says. “That’s a big privilege.”

While Bradshaw and the Old 97’s add headlining flair to the event, creator John Henry says he started the Open Highway Music Festival to foster togetherness within the local music community. He held the first festival at Off Broadway in 2012, hoping to celebrate ӣ����Ƶ music, beverages and food.

“It’s just a tight-knit community, and we have to treat each other with respect and with kindness, because we’re all going to work together in one way or the other,” Henry says.

Past performers included artists like singer and songwriter Jason Isbell, the Turnpike Troubadours and the Marcus King Band. The festival took a hiatus the year COVID kept the world indoors. But it came back strong, moving to Chesterfield Amphitheatre in 2021, taking on the tone of larger musical festivals around the country.

But last year, Henry paused the festival, citing increasing costs and higher artists fees. But he promised to return and used the time off to plan. For Henry creating intimate live performances remained at the forefront of his vision.

“We’re hoping to provide an experience where people can see some of their favorite artists up close and with some of their closest friends,” he says. Surtsey and the regional acts fuel a diverse rock ’n’ roll experience that Open Highway aims for.

“I think the show is going to be dynamic,” he says. “There’ll be a range of emotions, from ballads to more foot-stomping, up-tempo country rock.”

Highlighting local talent was a high priority for Henry, and not just because of his dual role as a talent booker and a fellow artist. Henry believes local acts keep the festival community centered. They also connect easily with the community, becoming word-of-mouth promoters that tell patrons what to expect at Open Highway.

“They’re bringing homegrown art to the event ... so people are getting the type of music that they’re coming to see,” he says. “They’re getting it straight from the faucet that’s right there.”

Dripping from the faucet is Surtsey’s heartfelt lyricism and country dynamics. Henry says the band adds a “melodic and modern texture” to the festival lineup following the release of its five-track 2024 EP “Nothing Doing.” Bassa describes his bandmates as his “best buds.”

Bassa and crew are currently working on their upcoming EP “Jargon,” which rides a different musical wave than their previously released singles. While the project’s release date is yet to be determined, Bassa knows he and his bandmate’s main priority is continuing to play music together as long as they can.

“In a perfect world, we’d be in our 80s and still playing acoustic guitars on our porch and talking about the places we were able to go because of music,” Bassa says.

Excited to represent ӣ����Ƶ as Open Highway Music Festival returns to its roots of packing out smaller, intimate venues, Bassa acknowledges the impact ӣ����Ƶ has had on Surtsey’s journey. The community with the music scene is unlike anything he’s experienced in other cities, and he appreciates being embraced by acts born and raised in ӣ����Ƶ.

“We have a lot of pride about being from ӣ����Ƶ and living here with our friends amongst all this talent,” he says.