Mei Lin Heirendt

Rising fiddler, singer, and songwriter Mei Lin Heirendt began her musical journey on classical violin at the age of 7 after being mesmerized by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. After playing in the Music in the Mountains Youth Orchestra for 4 years, she became the Concertmaster at just 12 years old. 

From this foundation, Mei Lin launched into the world of bluegrass fiddling, thanks to growing up attending the California Bluegrass Association’s (CBA) Father’s Day Festival every summer and participating in their “Kids On Bluegrass” program. She’s worked closely with the CBA throughout the years, having been their Youth Ambassador, Regional Director, Social Media Coordinator, teacher at the Youth Academy and teacher’s assistant at the CBA camp. 

In 2020 and 2021, Heirendt was one of six youth in the country to be selected for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Kids on Bluegrass Awards Show Band for 2 years in a row. 

In 2021, Heirendt co-founded the jamgrass band Broken Compass Bluegrass alongside bandmates Kyle Ledson (mandolin), Django Ruckrich (guitar), and Sam Jacobs (bass), currently touring full-time with the group. Broken Compass Bluegrass, based in Northern California, has quickly made a name for itself in the bluegrass/jamgrass scene. Their biggest performance to date has been headlining Bluegrass in La-Roche, Europe's largest bluegrass festival. The band's impressive resume also includes performances at Country Craponne in Craponne-sur-Arzon, France, opening for renowned acts like the Infamous Stringdusters, Peter Rowan, and Yonder Mountain String Band, as well as collaborating with Sierra Hull. They headlined the legendary Crystal Bay Club Crown Room, opened for the Terrapin Roadshow at San Francisco's historic Fillmore, and showcased their sound at the International Bluegrass Music Association's StreetFest in Raleigh, NC.

Heirendt is known for her powerful fiddle style and authentic, soulful vocals, evident in her solo projects “Enough," “Wasting the Silence”, and “How Much He Loved Her,” all of which are original songs. She is also passionate about collaborating with musicians outside her band, regularly doing session work, jamming, and sitting in with as many folks as she can. Past sit ins include The Brothers Comatose, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Mountain Grass Unit, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Hot Buttered Rum, Jerry’s Middle Finger, Poor Man’s Whiskey, The Everyone Orchestra, and Bella Rayne among others. 

Beyond her musical pursuits, Heirendt enjoys running, skiing, traveling, solving rubik's cubes, watching Star Wars, and eating waffles.