Bounding Main is an American a cappella quintet focusing on traditional sea shanties and maritime music.
Formed in 2003, Bounding Main performs maritime music, presenting an "Elizabethan sea dog" look in their costumes and gear as well as informal looks that represents them as a contemporary vocal group. They perform traditional sea shanties and nautical ballads from as far back as 400 years ago, as well as new maritime music, and original compositions. Bounding Main attempts to introduce historical music and structure in a way that appeals to listeners who might otherwise consider it "old-fashioned" through the use of harmony-focused arrangements agreeable to the modern ear and attention span. The group has won awards for their performances at renaissance festivals, and they have taken several international tours, bringing their music to popular shanty festivals in locations such as Germany, Netherlands, Poland, France, Cornwall, and Canada. Their music has been preserved in the British Library's Sound Archive.
Their fan club is known as the Bounding Mainiacs.