Dogwood Hollow is a Northern Virginia–based bluegrass band rooted in tradition and driven by connection. The four-piece lineup—Caleb Gum (fiddle), Jacob Wolfe (guitar), Robert Hollands (mandolin), and Josh Ungar (bass)—brings together driving rhythms, expressive melodies, and tight vocal harmonies that honor bluegrass’s past while leaving room for creative exploration.
The band’s story began at a local open bluegrass jam, where Caleb, Jacob, and Robert first crossed paths. In 2024, they decided to step beyond the informal jam setting and work up songs for performance at an open mic night at JV’s Restaurant. What started as a casual project quickly grew into something more focused, and the trio began to envision themselves as a dedicated band—initially under the name Hourglass Too Slow.
As their ambitions grew, so did the lineup. The group connected with Josh Ungar of the Northern Virginia band Pictrola, who offered to fill in on bass for performances. Though mandolin is his primary instrument with Pictrola, Josh’s musical sensibility and steady bass quickly became integral to the sound. Before long, he joined as a full-time member, and the band reemerged as Dogwood Hollow.
Dogwood Hollow’s repertoire centers on traditional bluegrass songs and fiddle tunes, but the band embraces the genre’s improvisational spirit. Their sets often venture into jazzier territory, highlighting instrumental interplay and spontaneous moments on stage. Above all, the band places a strong emphasis on tight, thoughtful group harmonies—bringing a shared voice to the heart of every song.
Whether performing a classic standard or stretching out on a reimagined tune, Dogwood Hollow aims to create music that feels both grounded and alive, inviting listeners into the hollow where tradition and creativity meet.
Robert Hollands is a musician currently based in Annandale, Virginia. He has over 30 years of experience playing multiple instruments, including guitar, piano, and most recently, the mandolin. During that time, he's dabbled in various genres of music including classical, jazz, metal, and most recently, Bluegrass.
Robert's journey into Bluegrass began in 2023 when he was looking for other musicians to play with, and he discovered the bimonthly jam hosted by the Capital Area Bluegrass and Old-time Music Association (CABOMA), a group of local musicians who provide a welcoming and inclusive environment to play Bluegrass and Old Time music together. He was drawn both to the communal element of a group of individuals brought together by a shared musical language as well as the opportunities the genre provides for virtuosic improvisation.
Since then, he's spent the last several years actively participating in the many local jams around the area, playing with many talented local musicians. Having to show up and participate in these shared musical experiences gave Robert the motivation he needed to start seriously studying his craft and pursue opportunities to promote Bluegrass music to the public.
In addition to playing mandolin for Dogwood Hollow, Robert is currently the Vice President of CABOMA.
Josh Ungar is a musician from the DMV area, currently based in Alexandria, Virginia, whose musical roots run deep. Introduced at an early age by his father to classical, folk, and rock music, Josh’s journey began on electric guitar, cutting his teeth on heavy metal before his tastes expanded into more exploratory sounds.
Influenced heavily by the improvisational spirit of the Grateful Dead and the sonic landscapes of Pink Floyd, Josh was eventually drawn toward bluegrass, where the virtuosic mandolin playing of David Grisman left a lasting mark. He quickly took up the mandolin, becoming an integral part of the local scene and forming bands such as Porch Pickers Brigade, Split String Soup, and the award-winning group Pictrola.
When Split String Soup found itself in need of a bass player, Josh stepped into the role and discovered a new musical passion—anchoring the groove and driving the rhythm that powers a band from the ground up. That rhythmic sensibility continues to define his approach across instruments and ensembles.
Deeply connected to the bluegrass community, Josh has been involved with DelFest for over 15 years and currently works with the festival while helping to run the DelFest Academy, collaborating with some of the most respected instructors in the genre. His performance credits include appearances at DelFest, Greyfox Bluegrass Festival, Watermelon Pickers Fest, IBMA, and many others.
Whether on mandolin or bass, Josh Ungar brings a lifetime of diverse influences, a deep respect for tradition, and a driving musical energy to every stage he steps on.
Jacob fell into Bluegrass in 2023 when the gods of the Spotify algorithm delivered Sierra Hull's virtuosic "Bombshell" to his earbuds, introducting him to the refined, precise, and technical side of the genre. This discovery gave focus to what had been decades of musical dabbling across generes as diverse as jazz, classical, rock, metal, and ambient, and instrument sranging from trumpet and piano to synthesizer and, for one particularly confused moment, accordion. Since then, Jacob has worked to incorporate his eclectic musical background into the Bluegrass style, all while secretly wishing he could shred as fast as his guitar heroes.
Outside of music, Jacob loves video games, brightly-colored cars, cocktails, Baltimore sports, baked goods that have sprinkles on them, and philosophy.