Headline News

2019 Bluegrass Conference

22 May, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

News just in from the 2019 Bluegrass Conference relates to this year’s teaching faculty which features six international musicians. The list below is in development and other names will be announced soon.

Jens Kruger – North Carolina USA
Josh Goforth – North Carolina USA (fiddle, mandolin, guitar)
Jenny Lester – British Columbia Canada (vocalist, fiddle, song writer)
The Sonoran Dogs – Arizona USA
- Mark Miracle (mandolin)
- Peter McLaughlin (guitar, vocals)
- Tyler James (banjo)
Bruce Packard (bass, mandolin)
Anita Nahuysen (claw-hammer banjo)
Mark Nahuysen (guitar)

There are some planned changes to the 2019 conference and some early-bird discounts for some of the premium accommodation options.

Conference Dates: Thu to Sun, December 12th – 15th
Cost: $890
Spaces: 60

For more information on the 2019 Australian Bluegrass Conference or to seek registration details use the contact below.

Farm Hands – I Can’t Go Home Anymore

16 May, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Award-winning Bluegrass quartet the Farm Hands have announced the release of their brand new single, I Can’t Go Home Anymore. The Pinecastle Records release will serve as the group’s lead single from their forthcoming project, coming this fall. In addition to being available for radio airplay, fans can preview the song and download or stream the song here.

I Can’t Go Home Anymore tells the story of a childhood home, and all of the memories that were associated while growing up. The song also serves as a reminder of the past, but also a thought-provoking reminder that one can never go back. Written by Farm Hands’ member Daryl Mosley, I Can’t Go Home Anymore details real-life experiences from the singer’s childhood with its empowering message.

Already, 2019 is turning into a memorable year for the Farm Hands. The chart-toppers were awarded four awards at SPBGMA’s annual Bluegrass Awards including the coveted “Album of the Year” with their previous release, Colors, along with “Song of the Year” for the No. 1 hit Hillbilly Graham. As the year progresses, the Farm Hands have many more surprises in store, and a lot more new music on the horizon.

Fans can keep up-to-date with all things Farm Hands by visiting their official website. While there, music lovers will be able to check the band’s jam-packed tour schedule which includes stops at festivals and venues all summer long throughout North America.

Bluegrass Country Soul Movie Restoration Almost Complete.

5 May, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Crowd Funding Campaign Aims to Save Classic Film Made at Legendary Festival

Reportedly the first feature film about bluegrass music (Washington Post, July 6, 1972), Bluegrass Country Soul is approaching a deadline in its crowd funding campaign on 15th May, 2019, when naming opportunities for the restoration project must conclude.

Bluegrass Country Soul features performances from first-generation bluegrass icons such as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Chubby Wise, Jimmy Martin and Mac Wiseman as well as stars of today such as Sam Bush, Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs. Others in the film are: J.D. Crowe, The Osborne Brothers, Tony Rice, The Lilly Brothers with Tex Logan and Don Stover, The Bluegrass 45 (from Japan), The New Deal String Band, and, in a rare appearance, Roy Acuff.

Earlier last month, we were finally able to see how much the old 35mm print has faded. Fortunately, with the assistance of modern digital technology, Bluegrass Country Soul can still be restored – Albert Ihde, the film’s producer/director.

This is a labor of love for Ihde and his wife, Ellen Pasternack, who is the Executive Director on this project.

Bluegrass fans who join the campaign at a minimum of $100 will receive a multi-media box-set when they come out on 1st September, and can choose to have their name, and/or the name of someone they wish to honor, in the closing credits of the film and book. Higher levels of sponsorship are available too – Ellen Pasternack.

This newly restored version of the film will premiere at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY, on 2nd November, and will be donated to the museum’s permanent collection.

The box-set includes a Blu-ray, high-definition and a standard DVD combo pack, a coffee table book with tons of photos, a brand-new documentary about the festival and film, two CDs of music not heard in the film, and more.

We’ve been interviewing musicians and others who were at the festival, and they will be included in a second commentary track. Noted bluegrass historian Fred Bartenstein is updating his earlier commentary track – Ellen Pasternack.

To order a box-set, learn more about the contents, for sponsorship details, videos, and to sign up for our newsletter, please visit the Bluegrass Country Soul website.

For additional information, please contact us at info@bluegrasscountrysoul.com or call: (805) 965-1508. YOu can also write to:

Bluegrass Country Soul
PO Box 23211
Santa Barbara, CA 93121

Backwater Bluegrass Band Heads to Northcote

3 May, 19 by Greg McGrath 3 Comments

Blackwater Bluegrass Band
(Photo by Ian Fisk)

Rob Lewis has just advised us of a gig coming up in Northcote Victoria.

Rob plays in a band called Backwater Bluegrass Band. The line up features Rob Lewis on guitar and vocals, Mark Pottenger on mandolin and vocals, Peter Somerville on banjo and vocals and Maxine Sutcliffe on double bass, fiddle and vocals.

They have a full evening gig is at Open Studio, on Monday 20 May at 204 High Street, Northcote from 7:30pm to 11:30pm. John Boothroyd will also be on the program. There is a $5.00 cover charge.

Davidson Brothers 2019 Update

25 Apr, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

It’s been quite a while since we have heard what’s new from the Davidson Brothers. They tell us that the last six months have been crazy for them and time has flown by.

The Davidson have performed at the 2018 World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina. They have also celebrated their little sister’s marriage, r and more recently played the drought relief concert in Tamworth before an audience of some 10,000 people.

Next month Hamish and Lachlan are setting out for western NSW to perform their very first Broken Hill gig. Next up they are heading back to play the White Cliffs Music Festival.

Later in May the brothers are heading back to Gippsland, just over the hill from our hometown to play a show at the Grand Ridge Brewery in Mirboo North. From there they head up to the 2019 Gympie Music Muster in QLD.

In other news, 2019 marks the Davidson Brothers 20th Anniversary since the release of their very first album. They have plans for celebration down the track, but initially they’ve digitally released for the first time some of their back catalogue. You can now stream 6 of their albums on Spotify.

Tour Dates:

Sun 28 Apr.	Mungo Park Newlyn Nth.	Tickets
Fri 17 May	Musicians Club – Broken Hill NSW
Sat 18 May	White Cliffs Music Festival NSW	More Info
Sat 25 May	Grand Ridge Brewery – Mirboo North VIC	Tickets
Sun 21 Jul	Davidson Brothers 20th Anniversary Show’ The Curtin – Melbourne VIC	TBA
22-25 Aug	Gympie Music Muster QLD	Tickets

Lonesome River Band – Outside Looking In

24 Apr, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Lonesome River Band has been influential in bridging the worlds of traditional and modern Bluegrass and bringing new fans to the music. As pioneering innovators, they have set a benchmark with their award-winning albums and have established an immediately familiar sound that has influenced a generation of roots music musicians.

Lonesome River Band’s established legacy continues with their new release, Outside Looking In, with songs that reflect who and what this band is and the culture it come from. The album will be released 24th May by Mountain Home Music Company and is available for pre-order now.

Outside Looking In begins with Curiosity Killed This Cat with a flawless groove that personifies the deep-pocket timing of Lonesome River Band’s celebrated banjo master Sammy Shelor, five-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Banjo Player of the Year award and 2011 winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass.

When the band reached out to songwriter Daniel Salyer for material, this one stood out. Daniel is one of the finest songwriters in the business. He just knows how to compose a true bluegrass lyric and melody. When recording it, it seemed like it so quickly fell into place. Brandon’s soul, and Sammy and Barry’s iconic groove makes for a head-bobbin track – Jesse Smathers.

This groove is heard again in New Ballards Branch, a song about a place in Southwestern Virginia with a tone-setting intro by fiddler Mike Hartgrove, and in the title track, Outside Looking In. “It’s a new twist on a murder ballad that screams Lonesome River Band,” says Brandon Rickman, guitarist and vocalist. “We love the way this turned out.”

Shelor’s mastery is seen again in If I Had A Cheating Heart, a song Smathers describes as one of the grooviest Mel Street songs of all time. “When we went to record this, Sammy thought of doing it upbeat and he nailed it. It sure makes for a great driving bluegrass tune,” says Smathers.

These songs and others like Cassidy’s Prayer Book, a Civil War tune, and Your Memory Wins Again, an uptempo song by Skip Ewing that Shelor heard years ago, contain the heart of the band’s message of themes steeped in the genre’s tradition, presented in clever lyrics, instrumental prowess, and heartfelt vocals. “I always thought ‘Your Memory Wins Again’ would make a great bluegrass song,” says Shelor. “We finally had the opportunity to do it on this album.”

Over the decades, the distinguished sound of Lonesome River Band’s vocalists have set the band apart. For the last 12 years, Rickman has held the role as lead singer. Rickman’s vocals on songs like Wreck of My Heart are a robust, Country style and a quintessential part of the band’s sound. “It’s a great song with one of the coolest, catchiest melodies I’ve heard in a while,” says Rickman. “It’s just so different from anything we’ve done in a while, and those songs are hard to find.”

The voice of Smathers is classic in its higher register as he shares lead vocal duties when he’s not vaulting above Rickman with his impactful tenor. This is demonstrated in songs like Little Magnolia with its waltz meter and seamless brother-like harmonies. “Little Magnolia is a favorite track of mine. It’s a song that sounds 80 years old. The feel of this song comes from a place of authenticity, something that we all strive for, and that made it so fun to record for all of us,” says Smathers.

Together with the baritone parts shared by Shelor and ace bassist Barry Reed, the album’s themes of love, betrayal, murder and prayer are portrayed with the shrewd mastery that only a band performing at the highest level can create.

Other tracks include Going With The Flow, Circle Of Lies, Rough and Tumble Heart and Home Of The Red Fox, an instrumental.

Home of the Red Fox is a tune that I first heard from Bill Emerson back in the 1980s on an album titled Home Of The Red Fox, an instrumental album he did. It was just a melody that always stuck with me over the years, and I had sat and played it in practice hundreds of times over the last 30 years. We finally decided we wanted to cut the thing. It was an instrumental that hit Lonesome River Band’s feel really well – Sammy Shelor.

Shelor takes the first break, with the top-tier fiddling of Hartgrove coming next. Solos by Smathers and Rickman follow before the song comes to an end.

The album closes with Mark Knopfler ‘80s released, ‘50s nostalgia tune Calling Elvis the first single released off the album. The spirit of the original is captured and transformed in a way that makes for a smooth, well-executed merging of two styles. LRB’s “jam” section included in this track shows a band who continues to break the traditional mold musically.

The themes of Outside Looking In are a time-honoured part of the Bluegrass canon. They inform the very backbone of the music and Lonesome River Band has a way of framing them in modern terms moving the genre forward.

About Lonesome River Band

Since its formation 37 years ago, Lonesome River Band continues its reputation as one of the most respected names in Bluegrass music. Five-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Banjo Player of the Year, and winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Sammy Shelor leads the group that is constantly breaking new ground in Acoustic music. With two stellar lead vocalists, Brandon Rickman (guitar) and Jesse Smathers (mandolin), with impressive talents of Mike Hartgrove (fiddle) and Barry Reed (bass), the band seamlessly comes together, performing the trademark sound that fans continue to embrace.

About Mountain Home Music Company:

Mountain Home Music Company, a division of Crossroads Label Group is a premier Bluegrass label with global distribution, representing such elite artists as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Balsam Range, The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, NewTown, Gina Furtado, Kristin Scott Benson, The Cleverlys, Danny Roberts, Lawson and Williams, Sideline, The Snyder Family Band, and Unspoken Tradition. Established in 1993, Crossroads is a market leader in the Bluegrass, Americana, and Christian Music fields.

Merle Monroe – Back To The Country

20 Apr, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The newly formed Bluegrass band Merle Monroe has announced the release of their debut project, Back To The Country. It will be available from 21st June. Back To The Country will be released via Pinecastle Records.

Merle Monroe was created by members Tim Raybon and Daniel Grindstaff. On the 12-song collection, the dynamic group show exactly why Country legend Merle Haggard and Bluegrass icon Bill Monroe are the inspirations behind both their band name and signature sound.

Fans can pre-order the new project here, where they’ll also be able to download and stream the lead single, This Town now.

American Music- the Carter Family, Bill Monroe, the Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, Flatt & Scruggs, and many others. The sounds of the great pioneers was our inspiration to record this album and form this band. Respectfully, we do our part to create something new, yet reflective of our hero’s influences and carry the torch with every song we write and sing” – Tim Raybon & Daniel Grindstaff.

The first single from Back To The Country is This Town. The upbeat track is a remake of classic Country artist Roger Miller’s song recorded for the 1965 album, The 3rd Time Around. Merle Monroe brings a new and invigorating sound, showcasing both Tim and Daniel’s hard-driving Bluegrass style. From start to finish the group trades notes and harmonies, giving genre enthusiasts a taste of what’s to come on the full LP. With years of experience, Daniel’s frequent performances at the legendary Grand Ole Opry serves as the guiding inspiration behind This Town. The song and video made its premiere earlier today on Vents Magazine.

Back To The Country consists of 12 tracks, including a combination of covers, along with all-new music written by the band. Band member Tim is no stranger to success, having previously released a Gold-certified single in the 90s of Butterfly Kisses. One standout song on the project is the first track, Movin’ On, a chart-topper previously released by Merle Haggard. Another key moment occurs on the feel-good Tim Raybon written Singing Crazy (Like Patsy Cline), which drops a line about the late great Patsy Cline. Perhaps the most heartfelt song is Dad, written by Skip Ewing. As a special treat for fans, the track will be officially available ahead of the album’s release, before the Father’s Day weekend.

Merle Monroe is pushing their promotional efforts into high gear as the album approaches. They will appear at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Tenn. on Saturday, April 27, where they will premiere new music. On May 8, Nashville fans will be able to attend a very special album release show at The Station Inn. During the event, concert attendees will hear new music performed for the very first time. With the recent addition of Derek Deakins to the band (worked with Blake Shelton and the Osborne Brothers for five and three years respectively), Merle Monroe is more determined than ever to make 2019 their breakout year. To celebrate, they will also appear on the legendary WSM’s All Nighter With Marcia Campbell. Fans can listen in locally on 650-AM (broadcasting from Nashville to 38 states, plus part of Canada), or stream online at wsmonline.com.

To learn more on all things Merle Monroe visit the group’s official website.

Back To The Country Track Listing:

1. Movin’ On
2. Back Where It’s At
3. Whippoorwill
4. Beautiful Kentucky
5. Blessed City
6. Hungry Eyes

7. Singing Crazy (Like Patsy Cline)
8. Dad
9. I’ll Follow You1
0. He Will Roll You Over The Tide
11. The Kindest Man
12. This Town

About Merle Monroe:

Pinecastle Recording artists Merle Monroe is a band created by musicians Tim Raybon and Daniel Grindstaff. Basing their sound from collective experiences as professionals in the music business, which essentially is a mix of vocally centered, hard-driving Bluegrass, all along tearing at listeners’ heartstrings like a Merle Haggard style ballad. Merle Monroe believes Bluegrass, Gospel and traditional Country music are America’s music, the stories of the common man and the sounds of the mountains. Adding the superb talents of Jayd Raines, Josh Doss and Derek Deakins, the goal is to choose songs that relate to everyday life and go Back To The Country, be that with heartfelt vocals, a ballad, a hard-driving banjo, or an upbeat song that takes your mind away from today’s current distractions.

Kruger Brothers – Three of a Kind

16 Apr, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Kruger Brothers are unique in the world of bluegrass music as they blend their instruments and voices to a wide variety of music styles from classical to traditional bluegrass and beyond. For those of us familiar with their music and those who have seen them perform live in several parts of Australia , here is an article from the Greenville Journal in North Carolina, now their home state.

It’s a rare band whose most recent lineup change came 30 years ago, but that’s when bassist Joel Landsberg joined Jens and Uwe Kruger in the aptly named acoustic music group the Kruger Brothers. The European-born Kruger siblings (Jens plays banjo and Uwe plays guitar) have been together as a band since 1979, crafting a daring-but-beguiling blend of folk, classical, and bluegrass music that’s surprisingly flexible.

Mountain Pickers Three Big Nights

8 Apr, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Mountain Pickers Association have announced three great acts – 2 international and one local – appearing at their Tuesday night gatherings.

First up on the 23rd of April we have Kittel & Co from the US. This band is taking bluegrass and old-time music as far forward as far as they can go.

Kittel & Co. inhabit the space between classical and acoustic roots, Celtic and bluegrass aesthetics, folk and jazz sensibilities. The band is led by acclaimed American violinist Jeremy Kittel, previously a member of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet. Kittle is best known for his work as a fiddler, composer, and arranger with acts as varied as My Morning Jacket, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Kittel blazes through a Bach violin partita as easily as a Scottish reel, bringing the same intense focus and precision to both.

Featuring mandolin phenom Josh Pinkham and genre-bending guitarist Quinn Bachand, Kittel & Co. captures a sonic landscape that’s equally as unpredictable as it is captivating.

“Thrillingly spontaneous…taking traditional music forward” – Times UK.

Next up on the 30th of April, the Association’s regular club night, will feature The Appalachian Stringband.

The Appalachian Stringband is well-known for it’s tight, driving arrangements of tunes and songs from the southern Appalachian USA mountains. From sensitive and driving fiddle tunes, dance tunes with curly toes, to cheeky songs and disarmingly touching ballads, the Appalachian Stringband delight audiences young and young-at-heart.

The Appalachian Stringband is the precursor of Bluegrass, featuring fiddle, banjo and vocal harmonies transposed from the Celtic fiddle traditions, infused with African-American and rural sensibilities. With new fiddler Jeremy Marcotte from North Carolina in place, it promises to be a night of new tunes and new style from the traditional bedrock of Old Timey music.

Next on the performance roster is Flats and Sharps from the UK. The very best of British bluegrass set to play on 7th May.

Flats and Sharps are a high-energy contemporary Bluegrass band, from Penzance, Cornwall, in the South West of England, known for their own highly original songs as well as their blistering renditions of Bluegrass classics. These four incredible young musicians, Mikey Ponsford (mandolin, vocals), Danny Hart (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Josh Warner (guitar, vocals) & Liam Fitzharris (double bass, vocals), honed their skills in hundreds of live performances over the past six years, charming and wowing audiences along the way. They’ve come a long way, from their humble beginning busking in Penzance as 17 year-olds, to performing at the Proms in Hyde Park, London, and at scores of festivals throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe and Australia.

On their first Australian tour in 2017, they delighted audiences at the National Folk Festival, Canberra and Fairbridge Music Festival, WA. They returned here in 2018, again playing the National Festival, plus the Blue Mts Festival and an extensive NSW tour. They have since been invited to the home of Bluegrass, the USA, to represent the UK in the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “World of Bluegrass” in September 2018. In 2019 they have been invited back by the Fairbridge Festival in WA, where they’ll also play the Albany Festival before heading east to Victoria and NSW.

Mountain Pickers Assoc. venue – the Ferntree Gully Bowling Club, Glenfern Rd, Ferntree Gully
Table Bookings call 9753 5888

Kittel & Co – with special guests – The Weeping Willows	Tue. 23rd April, 8:00pm	Entry $25/$22 and $20 for MPA Members
The Appalachian Stringband	Tue. 30th April, 7:30pm	Entry $15/$12 and $10 for MPA Members
Flats and Sharps – with special guests – Nine Mile Creek	Tue. 7th May, 8:00pm	Entry $25/$22 and $20 for MPA Members

Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan On Tour

25 Mar, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Folk Trio to tour Australia

The band, I’m With Her features Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan. This folk trio supergroup has, since their formation at an impromptu show in 2014, honed a special, family-like chemistry, garnering acclaim for their unique blend of instrumental interplay combined with indelible harmonies.

Their debut album See You Around (2018) garnered instant and widespread praise, including from NPR, who hailed the collection as “willfully open-hearted”, and The Guardian, who called their sound both “ethereal and purposeful.”

Touring in support of the new album, the band have sold out shows across the US and Europe and have also made appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CBS Saturday Morning and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. The trio was recently nominated for “Duo/Group of the Year” by the Americana Music Association.

These three multi-Grammy-Award-winners have also individually released nine solo efforts, co-founded two seminal bands (Nickel Creek and Crooked Still), and contributed to critically acclaimed albums from a host of esteemed artists.

They are scheduled to appear in Australia at the following locations:

16 Apr. Sydney Recital Centre. Sydney, NSW
18 Apr. Melbourne Recital Hall, Melbourne, VIC
19 and 22 Apr. Byron Bay Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW

About the Band:

I’m With Her is a band rooted in a rare alchemy: three celebrated songwriters coming together to create music that reveals entirely new possibilities in their distinct and deep-seated talents. Since forming in 2014, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan have imbued their songs with a sharply detailed lyricism, graceful musicianship, and—perhaps most powerfully—mesmerizing harmonies that endlessly reflect their extraordinary chemistry.

The latest single from I’m With Her, Call My Name once again shows the strength and vitality of their connection. In a departure from the deliberately insular making of their debut album See You Around, the band pursued a new creative approach centred on true collaboration with producer Mike Elizondo (Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Dr. Dre). Recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Call My Name finds Elizondo building a hypnotic sonic backdrop, matching the track’s quietly urgent beat with I’m With Her’s interplay of guitar, Wurlitzer, and fiddle. The result is a song both stark and luminous, perfectly capturing the potent tension within even the most loving relationship.