Forest Bailey, Modern Fingerstyle Guitar

I play a mix of 70/30 originals/covers, ranging from pop, folk, jazz, world, rock and r&b. My specialty is using one acoustic guitar for bass, percussion and melody all at once. All live and organic sounds, no looping. If you're familiar with Michael Hedges, Andy Mckee, Don Ross or Tommy Emmanuel, these are some of my biggest influences. My show can be energetic, humorous and entertaining or background with minimal talking depending on what's suitable for the feel of the evening. Visually, the way I play is very engaging, but the most common feedback I get is "peaceful, beautiful playing."

I will provide my own hi-fi sound system and don't need more than a 5'x5' floor space to perform. I also take care of background music during short 10-15min set breaks. While I am an international touring performer, PDX is my home and I like to keep my schedule full when not touring.

"His live performance is a refreshing take on the solo Acoustic Guitar, alchemizing every part of the instrument for original compositions with elements of folk, world, blues, jazz, and post-rock, all anchored in his virtuosic mastery of fingerstyle technique inspired by Michael Hedges, Andy Mckee, and Antoine Dufour."

Forest crafts a unique combination of fingerstyle, tapping and percussive playing that is all his own. Drawing from various influences like Michael Hedges, Andy Mckee, Antoine Dufour, Scale The Summit, Led Zeppelin, Chon, and Covet, each song is a musical journey that further shows what two hands and a guitar can accomplish. He underscores these sonic adventures with an exciting, welcoming and humorous stage presence that exudes every ounce of passion he has for his craft.

Although initially enamored by classic rock and heavy metal in his teenage years, his curiosity led to a focus on solo acoustic guitar in 2015. Upon discovering the nuances that a steel string acoustic guitar can create, he quickly found the home for his compositions. These joyful and adventurous music experiments have led him to performing both nationally and internationally, from California to North Carolina, All across Canada and even to Australia. The year 2018 saw the debut release of Forest’s debut instrumental album, “Let The Clouds Pass.”

The years (phone number hidden)9 had Forest Zigzagging across the USA in a fully independent national tour, over 40 concerts in 26 states, 70,000 miles in a station wagon loaded with his guitars and a dream.

2023 was the year of doing the “Nashville thing”. While he never acquired cowboy boots, he further cut his teeth on all genres from Rock, Country and Pop, performing hundreds of popular songs and running across bar tops. Ultimately, it was not the true path of this original artist and he relocated back home to the west coast USA where he could continue exploring his own musical style.

In 2025, Forest was invited to open a sold out 26 date coast to coast tour of Canada with guitar legend Alex Misko.

Forest has been invited to perform with other fingerstyle acoustic musicians such as Adrian Bellue, Christie Lenee, Van Larkins, Mark Kroos, Kat Gruvs and Janet Noguera. His songs “Midnight Picnic” and “Daybreak” have been featured on the Candyrat Records youtube channel.

Lighting and a stage preferred but not required. Shade and a flat, dry surface of at least 5'x5'.