Bluegrass Gospel,
Arena-Style

This feature ought to start with a laundry list of our subject’s accomplishments, but rootsy country hitmaker Dierks Bentley’s résumé and inventory of accolades, awards, and trophies would be far too long to include. After 30+ years in Nashville, Bentley has more than made it and his particular brand of country – down-to-earth approachability, bro-ey (while remarkably non-toxic) good-time vibes, honeyed crackling vocals, an unwavering sense of humor, and fierce love for bluegrass virtuosity – has now gained such a strong gravitational pull, it continues to shift Music Row. (For the better, of course.)

In June, Bentley released his eleventh studio album, Broken Branches, and launched an eponymous continent-spanning tour with everybody’s favorite, fellow trad country lover Zach Top, and swampgrass North Georgia duo the Band Loula in tow. Broken Branches features guests like Miranda Lambert, Riley Green, John Anderson, and more and – like all of the albums in his expansive Dierkscography – quite a few string band- and bluegrass-inspired moments, as well.

The Broken Branches Tour, which has been clipped and shared thousands and thousands of times on social media over the past several weeks, includes many hits, striking sets and theatrical tech, cameos from the infamous Hot Country Knights, and, yes, plenty of bluegrass. On the set list, Bentley and Top duet on an incredible “Freeborn Man” – we’re leaving out spoilers here so you can catch the tour’s scant remaining dates yourself and still be delighted. Bentley also performs the title track from his hit bluegrass album, 2010’s Up On The Ridge, and Logan Simmons and Malachi Mills of The Band Loula join him elsewhere in the set for a delicious bit of church.

@thebandloula the broken branches tour is in fulll effectttt 🥹🤧 y’all come see us with @dierksbentley and @Zach Top ♬ original sound – The Band Loula

Singing a Bill Monroe bluegrass gospel number in tight, intricate three-part harmony may seem like an odd choice for a big mainstream country arena show, but longtime fans and listeners of Bentley will know this is no aberration. This is the norm. Whatever the sonics of his music, from the most poppy and radio-ready country to the more Americana-coded to straight-ahead bluegrass, classic rock, and New Orleans grooves (and back again), Bentley brings bluegrass with him everywhere he goes. He brings its pickers, legends, and unsung heroes, too, uplifting them for all to enjoy.

When Mills, Simmons, and Bentley step to the center stage of an enormous auditorium or amphitheater to sing “Get Down On Your Knees and Pray,” depicted behind them on towering LED screens is a little log cabin dive bar with a neon cross steeple and a flickering “open” sign. As they lead the audience in the stark, convicting, hair-raising number – with grit and heart and endless spirit – you realize, yes, this is church. This is gospel. This is country and bluegrass, front porch music and arena music. This is Saturday night and this is Sunday morning.

It’s hard to imagine all of these intricate roots music details not only being palpable in a show of this scale, but they’re also measured, vulnerable, and intimate – traits not known as hallmarks of either country or bluegrass. It’s here that we find exactly the conglomeration of reasons why Bentley retains such widespread appeal and adoration from fans of all entry points. While neither he nor any other artist is universally loved, Dierks Bentley accomplishes being the modern country “everyman” not by diluting himself and his personality beyond recognition, but by purposefully, creatively, hilariously – and spiritually! – putting all of himself on the line in his music.

Before the Broken Branches tour launched earlier this summer, Good Country sat down backstage with Dierks Bentley and the Band Loula during a break from tour rehearsals, after the trio had just run through “Get Down On Your Knees and Pray.” We spoke about what bluegrass means in a country context, the appeal of gospel to folks of any (or no) faith, tent revivals and camp meetings, the joys and vulnerabilities of singing harmony, and much more.

Obviously, Dierks, across your entire career you’ve had a relationship with bluegrass. And not just Up On The Ridge, which we just heard you rehearse a bit of for the Broken Branches Tour. You’ve got records and posters on the wall at the Station Inn here in Nashville, you namecheck Keith Whitley on the new album. You’ve worked with the McCourys over and over, Charlie Worsham, an excellent bluegrass picker, is in your band. There are so many more bluegrass touchpoints. Your bluegrassy CMA Awards show appearance last year was very popular with our audience.

And for y’all, the Band Loula, you call yourself “swampgrass.” The harmonies clearly have the grit and the gospel of bluegrass and the timbre of how your voices blend together reminds me of bluegrass.

It might be an obvious question to ask, but I figured we could go around the circle here and get each of your takes on what does the genre mean to you? What’s your relationship with bluegrass? What does bluegrass mean to you in the constellation of country music that you make now?

Dierks Bentley: When I think about bluegrass, obviously it’s the music and all that, but really it’s just people with acoustic instruments gathering to play and sing together. I never really did a lot of stints on my own, solo. Probably I’m not good enough, but bar gigs where I was just doing cover songs never really interested me. I always liked being in a band. I love the way this instrument talks to that instrument, this voice talks to that voice, and this voice gets added and– “Whoa!”

Like the Osborne Brothers, they’re switching harmonies. Sonny is singing the high tenor, then the next thing you know, he is on like a low baritone part. The voices, the way they move around. That’s the main thing, that’s what drew me in when I walked into the Station. And there were guys my age. I always thought bluegrass was kinda like Hee Haw stuff. I walked in and I was like, “Oh my God, there’s guys my age.”

It was about just playing songs together. And they were doing a lot of Merle Haggard songs, George Jones songs mixed in. Johnny Cash songs mixed in with Stanley Brothers, the Osborne Brothers, and all that too. So it was just, “Wow.”

It’s more about the community of people congregating through and with their instruments. And using those to have fun – and drinks as well. [Laughs] Lotsa drinks, a lot of moonshine back then. The real stuff! No label on it.

Not 30 proof. [Laughs]

DB: That’s what it means to me and that’s what I hear in [The Band Loula’s] music, a lot of, if you want to call it, “front porch” picking music. Picking their roots – you know, deep, Southern gospel-y kind of roots, the mixing of that, and those voices together.

That’s what bluegrass has always been to me. It’s about the community as much as it is about the instrumentation and the bands. It’s the great community of people.

(L to R): Logan Simmons and Malachi Mills (of the Band Loula) confer with Dierks Bentley during rehearsals for the Broken Branches Tour. Photo by Zach Belcher.

Logan Simmons: I’ll say something that comes top of mind for me. I spent my whole life going to tent revivals. It’s not just, “I go and it’s summer camp, ’cause somebody made me.” It’s like the pinnacle of who I am.

I really believe that it’s the pillar of my family. We go for about 10 to 15 days every year. It’s beside my nanny’s house, and all it is, red-back hymns and bluegrass. The service happens every night and you go for about an hour and a half before service starts, before preaching starts, to hear bluegrass, gospel bands.

That’s how I learned harmonies, hearing all my godmothers and aunts sing the wrong ones around me. [Laughs] And you’ll hear somebody over there, Linda’s like [sings operatically and off-tune] and she’s not on it at all. But I was at least learning something and I feel like with my roots in general, it already infused that bluegrass sound into my life.

Then when Malachi and I became friends and started making music together. He has a lot of Motown roots. I think, blended together, the blues and bluegrass just made something beautiful. And, on top of that, the family harmony we have together. We’ve been friends forever, half our lives.

Malachi Mills: It all comes back to blues, yeah. And just like you said, that cross-pollination of the different genres. North Georgia is like the southern point of Appalachia. Like she said, it really influences the music we make by our harmonies. That’s the biggest thing we take from it. I love bluegrass music, but I’m not like a bluegrass buff. I would lose at bluegrass trivia. [Laughs] But it’s just in our bones and in the harmonies that she was talking about. Growing up in church and everything influences the way that we sing together and the notes that we pick whenever we’re singing harmonies. One of the biggest things that I love about bluegrass is the rhythm and pocket. And the intonation of the instruments. Bluegrass players choose to be intentional about [all of] it, the pocket, the timing, the tuning. It’s all so dead on. The details matter when you’re making records.

Dierks Bentley and band give Good Country and members of the media an exclusive sneak peek at their Broken Branches Tour set at rehearsals in May 2025 in Nashville. Photo by Zach Belcher.

I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s striking that y’all have this bluegrass song as part of this big, arena-sized stage show. Because for me, translating those details in such a big space and in such a broad format could be really hard.

Then I hear and see y’all singing in three parts with a neon cross behind you and suddenly yes, this is church. This is what it is. Any close-singing harmony vocals are great, but when it really sounds like bluegrass to me is when you can hear the reeds of your voices match up when you’re harmonizing. That was a really beautiful moment.

Could you talk a little bit about capturing those details for a big audience in big rooms like this – or even outside, in amphitheaters. How do you take a Bill Monroe gospel song and translate it to that space?

DB: Well, there’s “Bluegrass” Ben Helson out there walking the hallways. Ben and a couple other guys in the band have played with Ricky Skaggs. Ben played with Ricky and Tim [Sergent] still plays with Ricky. I always say, if you can graduate from the Ricky Skaggs school of bluegrass and country music, you’re probably a pretty good musician. He also played with Rhonda Vincent.

I’m a big Del McCoury fan. They did [“Get Down on Your Knees and Pray”] and Del has such a cool version of it. We were just kinda thinking of songs to do with these guys that would be great using their voices. Like [they] said, they’re the blues and bluegrass. I’m still trying to figure out their sound. It’s such a unique mixture; it’s so Americana in the way that in this country we have this melting pot of stuff. We thought it would be cool to do a little three-part thing, so that one came up.

Marty Stuart also did a really cool version of that song. But Ben [Helson], our guitar player really came up with that [arrangement], leaning into the swampy stuff they do. Gave it that feel, a little Southern – I don’t know what the vibe is there, but that telecaster is playing and it just has a cool kind of dirty, bluesy vibe to it. Then working up the harmonies, there’s just something about hearing a cappella bands.

I remember seeing Billy Strings at a bluegrass festival years ago and the band all stopped – no one knew who he was back then. Bryan Sutton had told me who he was, so I was where he was. He played like a Thursday set in the middle of the day. They had just done three songs and then they stopped and did a four-part harmony thing. There’s just something about it that’s so powerful. It goes straight to your soul.

The oldest version of entertainment there was was probably harmonizing. Finding people, seeing how your voices sound together, it’s a weird, cool thing. Singers talk about it all the time, in any genre of music about how seeing how we sound together is an intimate thing.

It’s vulnerable and it’s immediately establishing that community that you’re talking about. “We may not be a band, but now we’re a thing.”

DB: I feel like I blend well with anybody, because I’m like the condition. I sing it pretty straight here and allow the people around me to really do their stuff. I’m just gonna hold the line. There’s like nothing special about my voice, but it’s good to blend with ’cause other people have these amazing voices. They can do a lot of movement and a lot of great vibrato. I’m like the dumbest Del McCoury School of Bluegrass [student], just find that note and put everything into it. [Laughs]

Not to mention, introducing people to bluegrass as well – I love that. You have a chance to be a bridge to your heroes and that is always fun. People have been that to me, Marty Stuart probably the biggest. You get into Marty Stuart’s music and you find out who he likes, and then, whoa! He brings you back there. So [I hope] this turns somebody onto Bill Monroe. That’s pretty cool.

Dierks Bentley has a quiet moment on stage during rehearsals for the Broken Branches Tour. Photo by Zach Belcher.

Country – a lot like blues, R&B, and the early days of rock and roll – it has this often tempestuous and inspiring relationship between the fun of Saturday night and the conviction of Sunday morning. So seeing y’all sing that song in front of the depiction of a church as a dive bar, complete with a neon cross and a flickering “open” sign – to me that’s “a little bit holy water, a little bit Burning Man” epitomized. You guys are embodying that relationship between the sacred and the secular here. And that duality is all over your new album, too, Dierks.

MM: I’ll say, I think that one of the biggest things that contributes to that is the goosebump, hair-standing-up-on-your-arm feeling. It’s knowing that you have a part in something and whenever you sing and play bluegrass music together, you have to give way to one another on stage. So it’s the whole stage saying we’re doing this very intentionally in unity, in harmony.

And everybody in the crowd, whether they know that or not, they feel it. That’s what I think people feel. Even if you’re not a believer and maybe the message that’s being said [doesn’t apply], but you still resonate with serving each other. With being present, which is a strong energy. I think that’s what makes me excited about playing this song. I don’t know what’s gonna happen emotionally for me whenever that moment happens, ’cause it’s gonna be so much of that unified energy.

DB: Unified energy is a good way of putting it. It’s unified and it really is energy.

We’re pretty involved with the church. I have an older daughter who’s involved in the church and another middle daughter who doesn’t believe it like I did. But there’s something divine that you just can’t ignore, whether you believe it or not – just look at a sunset, look at a flower, look at a fish, look at so much unnecessary beauty in the world. There’s just some energy that exists and you can’t deny it when you sing a song like this. It just taps [something] on anybody. Recognizing how small you are in this world and the power of whatever version of prayer you do.

LS: I liked how you said it joins secular and holy together and that actually made me think of the tent revival, as well. I think growing up in Appalachia, like Malachi said – I wish I could just teleport you there so you could experience!

DB: That would be cool, a tent revival – I can’t even imagine.

I haven’t been to a camp meeting or revival in so long!

LS: Everybody’s invited to camp meeting. I don’t know if you’d love it. Our tent – I say tent, it’s like a shack on a square, it’s like a big square, four sides. So we’ll say, “Are you on the upper line or the lower line?” We’re on the upper line, which is not a good thing. It’s like you think upper line is like uppity people or something, but it’s not. Our shack is the oldest and [most] untouched of the whole campground. It was built in 1846.

DB: Wow!

LS: So there’s holes in the roof and like, my bunk bed, I get water drops on my head if it rains. There’s hay floors, there’s no air, and there’s a lot of us, so it’s all packed in there. But camp meeting is where I learned my first Bible verses and where I smoked my first joint. [Laughs] So it all marries together how you said, like holy and secular at the same time. I think of that picture of going to the gospel tent revival, going to camp meeting, singing those red-back hymns, doing all those things – but then also learning the grit of growing up.

I just loved when you said joining those things together, because that was such a representation of my upbringing. Yeah, it’s a little bit holy water, a little bit Burning Man. It’s definitely Saturday nights and Sunday mornings – and the tent revival is where I feel like those two worlds are so evident.

Dierks, in all you’ve done across your career there are all these bluegrass moments. The country that you “grow,” it’s mainstream, it’s radio-ready, but it’s like there’s bluegrass in the “soil” you grow it in, so you can always taste bluegrass in everything you do. Like on the new record, “Never You” with Miranda Lambert feels that way and “For As Long As I Can Remember”–

DB: There’s a little “Circles Around Me” by Sam Bush [reference] there at the top of that song.

Oh my gosh, yeah! Exactly what I’m talking about.

You said a little bit earlier turning people onto your heroes always feels great, but for you, from your own perspective being that guy that used to just hang out at the Station Inn and now being the Dierks Bentley and going on tour in sheds and arenas and amphitheaters… Why do you keep bluegrass with you?

Dierks Bentley: It is selfish in a lot of ways. I have such a great band and I just take so much joy watching them do cool stuff that I can’t do. It’s like our guitar player, Ben, he’s just an unbelievable flat picker. Charlie Worsham’s in our band and Charlie won the CMA Musician of the Year. He is just an incredible musician. Dan [Hochhalter] is an incredible fiddle player. Tim is so underutilized. Our steel guitar player – who plays banjo and everything else – he’s one of the best singers to me. Hearing him is like hearing Merle Haggard. He sings like nobody else, but he’s also so underutilized. And Steve’s been playing with me since 1999.

It’s just a great group and we love bluegrass music, featuring that, and having the music part of the show. I like being in a band setting, so just getting to be around it and hear these instruments swirling around me playing, I think it’s just cool.

I got a chance to play ROMP Festival last year and I feel lucky to be friends with guys like Jerry Douglas and Sierra Hull and have them come up on stage and play with us. I still think bluegrass music is the punk rock of country. It’s just the coolest genre of music there is.

It’s gotta be centering or grounding to a certain degree just to have that as something you can go back to, to feed yourself and fill yourself back up even while you’re touring.

DB: Absolutely. In the show we go from playing Tony Rice to John Michael Montgomery. We play bluegrass with the Hot Country Knights with costumes on. It’s just it’s all very selfish! It’s like, “How can I have a lot of fun in the next 90 minutes?”

I wanna do our radio country. I want people singing songs back, because that’s a great feeling. I want to get a little bluegrass in there. Just see if we get away with that. Then, can we try to get canceled on the way out? [Laughs] I dunno. It’s really fun for me. And having these guys [out with us] and getting to harmonize with them, it’s gonna be really fun. Check back in a few months, see how it turned out.


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All photos by Zach Belcher.

MIXTAPE: “Tempus Fugit” – Joe Mullins’ Past, Present, and Future Playlist

I’m rarely satisfied with the status quo. And I love roots music that is bona fide. Well, I’ve used up most of my Latin vocabulary very quickly.

I didn’t know what “Tempus Fugit meant until I got a wonderful new song from Tim Stafford and Missy Raines, both great artists, writers, and old friends. Missy and I were together with our bands at Americanafest in Nashville in 2024. I was chatting with her and said, “We’ve been doing this a long time,” since we got acquainted in the 1980s, as we were both learning everything about the bluegrass community. Missy said, “Yes, but we have heard so much great music and met so many wonderful people. And getting older isn’t a bad thing!” Then she told me she and Tim had a song about the subject. I had to hear it and I loved it!

Our new single, “Time Adds Up (If You’re Lucky)” is out just a few weeks after the new gospel album from JMRR was released in March. Thankful and Blessed is a collection of eight new sacred songs and two revived oldies. I’m grateful for the opportunity to deliver the spiritual message and provide an inspiring gospel collection, but I’m thankful for a great variety of music, and I’ve been blessed by the powerful talents of great musicians, singers and songwriters of all kinds.

So, this Mixtape is truly a mix – some songs from the past that inspire me, a tune from the current JMRR gospel album, and our latest bluegrass single from an album releasing in the near future. Carpe diem! – Joe Mullins

“Time Adds Up (If You’re Lucky)” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers

“Time Adds Up (If You’re Lucky)” is the new bluegrass single by JMRR. “Tempus Fugit” are the first words of the song, meaning time flies. The lyrics were so relatable for me at this phase of life. I have been on stage with a banjo and on radio in some capacity since 1982. Now, over four decades later, I have my first grandchild – and she’s gorgeous by the way!

I’m not just lucky, I’m thankful and blessed.

“My Ropin’ Days Are Done” – Blue Highway

Tim Stafford is such a great writer! This is a favorite recording of one of the most consistent bands of the past 30 years. Wayne Taylor sings with soul and the song is as lonesome as a one-car funeral procession.

“Yardbird” – Larry Cordle

Music has to be fun sometimes! I love a good sad song, but clever lyrics that are so entertaining have been penned by Larry Cordle for years. And the mighty Cord is a great singer, too. Cord is also one of my favorite people, one of those who you always look forward to seeing. He’s been very supportive of my recording career, providing many songs. He and Larry Shell wrote “Lord I’m Thankful” in our new gospel album and a new working man’s song in the Radio Ramblers bluegrass album that releases soon.

“Andy – I Can’t Live Without You” – Ashley McBryde

She has such a believable delivery, and this song is gritty and sincere. The beauty of simplicity can’t be beat – a great voice, a killer song, and one guitar.

“Gonna Be Movin'” – Larry Sparks

Sparks is a stylist, both vocally and instrumentally. He’s an original in every way. I’m pretty sure he has his own zip code. Interestingly, Larry sings three of the four vocal parts in the quartet portions of this recording from the 1980s. Randall Hylton was a superb songwriter and performer whose home-going was way too soon. His bluegrass gospel songs will be enjoyed eternally and this is one of Randall’s best. I was fortunate to have a song from Randall’s catalog that was never recorded, and it’s the a cappella selection in our new album.

“Looking at the World Through a Windshield” – Daniel Grindstaff with Trey Hensley

One of East Tennessee’s great banjo men, Daniel Grindstaff, produced one of my favorite recordings of 2024. I love good, driving country music. I’ve managed a small network of radio stations for many years and we feature a lot of hard-hitting country music from every era. Daniel and Trey nailed this old truckin’ tune with a contagious, grassy groove.

“Beneath That Lonely Mound of Clay” – George Jones & The Smoky Mountain Boys

Yes, it’s a sad song. Graveyard tunes have always been part of the bluegrass and country canon. But I want the world to be aware of this album. Jones went to the studio with Roy Acuff’s band in the very early 1970s and recorded his favorite Acuff songs. The album wasn’t released until 2017. I’m a huge fan of George’s music from his six-decade career and he was in his prime here with an acoustic band that helped define country music on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

“Journey On” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers

If you’re enjoying the mixtape in order, we need something uplifting after our stop at the cemetery. This is a new song featuring the Ramblers quartet. The perseverance of the saints is celebrated in this tune from our new album Thankful and Blessed.

“From Life’s Other Side” – Lee Ann Womack

I was fortunate enough to produce an award-winning album during the pandemic. This song is on the 2021 IBMA Album of the Year, Industrial Strength Bluegrass. The album celebrates music I grew up on in my neighborhood, Southwestern Ohio. Dave Evans was an Ohio singer and songwriter with soul oozing out of every note he breathed, like Lee Ann Womack. Her treatment of one of Dave’s rare songs was a highlight of that album that is so special to me.

“Lonesome Day” – The Osborne Brothers

I must include an Osborne Brothers song, because I’ve listened to their music almost daily for my entire life. Bobby’s vocal delivery and Sonny’s banjo genius are among my greatest influences. This cut was produced about 1977. They went to the studio to record a collection of songs from their traditional bluegrass roots, after crossing over into mainstream country during the previous decade. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more pure voice, and each instrument rings with huge tone because of the perfect touches, including Kenny Baker and Blaine Sprouse on fiddles, and the legendary Bob Moore on bass. Just turn it wide open on repeat!


Photo Credit: Brandy Buckner

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Andy Leftwich, Carter & Cleveland, and More

Okay but really, You Gotta Hear This! Our weekly premiere and new music roundup is simply packed with entirely legendary bluegrass in this edition of the column.

Kicking us off, award-winning husband-and-wife duo Benson – made up of Kristin Scott Benson and Wayne Benson – offer their rendition of a Harley Allen song, “Things Have Changed,” with Dustin Pyrtle lending a perfect lead vocal to the track. The Seldom Scene, an iconic bluegrass band for now more than 50 years, release their brand new album today. We’re celebrating Remains to Be Scene by highlighting “Hard Travelin’,” a Woody Guthrie-written number that you, like Ron Stewart, may recognize from Flatt & Scruggs’s discography.

Fiddle is represented in force this week, too, with fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Andy Leftwich racing through an original, “Highland Rim,” with Cody Kilby, Matt Menefee, and Byron House along for the ride. Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland are releasing their debut duo album today as well, so we’ve cued up “In the Middle of Middle Tennessee” from that stellar project. Written by Darrell Scott, it features Carter’s tasty baritone and country star Charlie Worsham (who has strong bluegrass roots) on harmony.

To round out our collection this week, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers preview their new bluegrass gospel album, Thankful and Blessed, set for release next week on March 21. “He Sees the Little Sparrow Fall” is a superlative example of the gospel and sacred traditions in bluegrass, a little concentrated dose of Friday revival for the end of your work week.

Every single track herein is bluegrass of the highest quality, so you know what we’re going to say… You Gotta Hear This!

Benson, “Things Have Changed”

Artist: Benson
Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Song: “Things Have Changed”
Release Date: March 14, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “We’re excited for this song to finally come out. We love the lead vocal by Dustin Pyrtle and the sentiment of ‘Things Have Changed’ is universal. It seems things do change so fast these days. Downtown Nashville is different every time I go! But even in small towns, you feel it, both physically and relationally with the people who live there. I love the line, ‘I’m sort of glad that Mom and Dad ain’t around.’ That melancholy embodies the mood of this guy who goes back home and feels an overall sense of loss. Wayne and I love to play this slower tempo on mandolin and banjo. He gets to tremolo and I get to play fun chord-based banjo. I always enjoy playing this kind of banjo backup.” – Kristin Scott Benson

“I’ve always loved Harley Allen and certainly do love this song. Dustin Pyrtle seemed like the perfect singer to reach out to and man did he ever deliver the goods on this one!” – Wayne Benson

Track Credits:
Wayne Benson – Mandolin
Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo
Cody Kilby – Acoustic
Tony Creasman – Drums
Kevin McKinnon – Bass
Dustin Pyrtle – Vocal


Carter & Cleveland, “In the Middle of Middle Tennessee”

Artist: Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee (Jason); Charlestown, Indiana (Michael)
Song: “In the Middle of Middle Tennessee”
Album: Carter & Cleveland
Release Date: March 14, 2025
Label: Fiddle Man Records

In Their Words: “This is a fun song that transports me to a place in my mind where I’d love to be – stuck in the middle of Middle Tennessee. Special thanks to Charlie Worsham for singing with me on this track. It’s one of the highlights of the entire record for me! I never had the chance to meet Darrell Scott’s cat, Bobtail, but somehow, I feel like I’ve seen him before. Thank you, Darrell, for writing this song about him!” – Jason Carter

Track Credits:
Jason Carter – Lead vocal, fiddle
Michael Cleveland – Fiddle
Charlie Worsham – Harmony vocal
Sam Bush – Mandolin
Jerry Douglas – Dobro
Bryan Sutton – Guitar
Cory Walker – Banjo
Alan Bartram – Bass


Andy Leftwich, “Highland Rim”

Artist: Andy Leftwich
Hometown: Carthage, Tennessee
Song: “Highland Rim”
Release Date: March 14, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I’ve always loved the intensity of a fast-paced instrumental and we hold nothing back on this one. Named after a raceway close to home where I grew up, I thought this one perfectly described the rush that you get from going fast. I wanted a song on this new project where we can go absolutely bananas and I feel like we captured it on this one!” – Andy Leftwich

Track Credits:
Andy Leftwich – Fiddle, mandolin
Byron House – Upright bass
Cody Kilby – Acoustic guitar
Matt Menefee – Banjo


Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, “He Sees the Little Sparrow Fall”

Artist: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Hometown: Xenia, Ohio
Song: “He Sees The Little Sparrow Fall”
Album: Thankful and Blessed
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Label: Billy Blue Records

In Their Words: “It’s so easy to sing a song of gratitude and celebration when we consider the beauty of creation. Our friend, songwriter Conrad Fisher, lives in a gorgeous valley surrounded by the mountains of Pennsylvania. No matter where we look around the world, seeing God’s magnificent beauty in creation is easy and worthy of our praise. A new song with an old-time flavor and a universal message opens our new album, ‘He Sees the Little Sparrows Fall.’” – Joe Mullins

Track Credits:
Joe Mullins – Vocal, banjo
Adam McIntosh – Lead vocal, guitar
Chris Davis – Vocal, mandolin
Jason Barie – Fiddle
Zach Collier – Bass


The Seldom Scene, “Hard Travelin'”

Artist: The Seldom Scene
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Song: “Hard Travelin'”
Album: Remains to be Scene
Release Date: March 14, 2025
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

In Their Words: “This song comes from a Flatt & Scruggs album of the same title, circa 1963. Written by Woody Guthrie, the song was first recorded in 1947. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Flatt & Scruggs and this is one of my favorites from the early 1960s when they were still plowing bluegrass, but using material from a broad range of writers.” – Ron Stewart


Photo Credit: Andy Leftwich by Erick Anderson; Carter & Cleveland by Emma McCoury.

Today’s Bluegrass Gospel Is All About Good News

While playing music in a bar, Tammy Rogers of The SteelDrivers learned a lesson that would guide her life choices. After Rogers graduated from college, she was happily earning her living as a musician. But she wondered if it was enough.

“I felt like it was all about me, rather than what I could give back and put into the world.” She had considered teaching or studying music therapy, thinking that, “Maybe I needed to be actively doing something to help.”

Here’s where the bar band comes in.

“I remember this like it was yesterday. I sang a gospel song.” Rogers said. “And after the set, a couple came up to me and said, ‘Thank you so much for singing that song. It meant so much to us.’ And it was like a light bulb came on – answering the question, ‘What should I be doing with my life?’”

For Rogers, the interaction with that couple in the bar was God giving her the message that she was doing what she was meant to do.

“The music that you write, the music that you play can touch people and help them, whether it’s in happiness or sorrow.”

Bluegrass musicians often incorporate old and new gospel songs into their performances. Whether it’s the melodies, the spine-tingling harmonies, the familiarity, or the content, gospel music has an enduring appeal to the full spectrum of bluegrass fans, regardless of culture or religion.

Last year, The SteelDrivers, as well as the young band High Fidelity, produced gospel albums – Tougher Than Nails and Music In My Soul, respectively – and Chris Jones released a gospel track, “Step Out in the Sunshine.” For them, the music is personal. They all come from a place of faith and sincere connection to the good news of the gospel, as well as loving the music itself.

In the rural communities where bluegrass began, life often centered around church, as a place of prayer, music, and friendship. Eventually, Southern gospel music also took on a life independent of worship.

Wayne Erbsen wrote in his charming book, Rural Roots of Bluegrass, “By the 1850s, songwriters were composing new gospel songs to appeal to the thousands who flocked to the rapidly growing number of shape-note singing conventions throughout the south.”

These lucrative gatherings – possibly more entertainment than spiritual – continued well into the 20th century. Erbsen told BGS that people would bring the books they already owned, but when they arrived, “they had to buy more books” to learn the new songs. The publishers hired excellent performers to attend the conventions and inspire the singers.

Erbsen wrote, “The songs and styles that were part of this shape-note singing convention tradition eventually merged with bluegrass instrumental and vocal styles to create a new genre now known as bluegrass gospel.”

Bill Monroe, like others of his generation, was exposed to religious-themed music. While performing with brother Charlie, Monroe’s first hit record was “What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?” And just as he learned the blues from Black fiddler Arnold Shultz, he was “fascinated by the music of the Black churches,” Chris Jones said. That’s where Monroe learned “Walking in Jerusalem,” popular today for its rich harmonies.

High Fidelity – Jeremy Stephens, Corrina Rose Logston Stephens, Kurt Stephenson, Daniel Amick, and Vickie Vaughn – is steeped in traditional bluegrass. Corrina’s parents got hooked on Reno & Smiley and the Stanley Brothers looking through department store record bins – and Corrina has stayed close to the traditional fold ever since. “It feels like it’s in my blood,” she said.

Jeremy learned to sing harmony from his grandfather. After he picked up the fiddle, a school bus driver made him a cassette tape of classic bluegrass. “And that tape was transformative to me,” he shared.

All of High Fidelity’s music is infused with the harmonies, instrumentation, and themes of early bluegrass performers. The friends who make up High Fidelity (the name comes from the words often on labels of early bluegrass records) came together as a band to compete in the SPBGMA band contest. They never imagined they would take first place. So, “It was this overwhelming gift that we won,” Corinna said. “It almost felt like divine intervention.”

“And everyone in High Fidelity is spiritual,” she continues. “We’re all Christian folks. We all identify with the songs that we’re singing.” So, from the earliest days, she said, they felt a gospel album was in their future, to “honor the Lord and thank him for giving us this gift.”

During a long period of illness that Corinna later learned was caused by toxic mold in their home (they since have moved out, and she feels a lot better), she received another gift from God, she said. She woke in the early hours of the morning with a song in her head that was so compelling, she had to get out of bed to record it. “And almost all of the verses just came out, bypassing my conscious brain.”

That song is “The Mighty Name of Jesus.” It is a centerpiece of, and the only original on, their recording, Music In My Soul. Corinna said, “We wanted [the project] to feel like a quintessential High Fidelity record, very bluegrassy.”

She wanted to emulate another early hero, Carl Story. When listening to Story, she said, “It wouldn’t even register that I was listening to a gospel record. It was just such good bluegrass… I wanted Carl Story’s vibes.”

Their recording successfully and joyously channels the spirit and musicality of the earliest bluegrass stars. High Fidelity worked hard to find little-known gospel songs from a variety of sources, performing them with the same enthusiastic vigor that they bring to their secular music. Listeners will recognize classic banjo introductions and harmony variations that have been passed through generations since bluegrass hit the radio.

And just as Music in the Soul is undoubtedly High Fidelity, nobody but The SteelDrivers could have created Tougher Than Nails. It is gritty, bluesy and achingly human.

Rogers said that for years, The SteelDrivers’ most requested song has been “Where Rainbows Never Die,” from the 2010 recording Reckless.

“We’ve gotten so many emails, messages, people come up to us at shows, telling us how they’ve played the song at their dad’s funeral or for grandpa or whomever and how much it’s meant to them.

“It doesn’t say the word God. It doesn’t say the word Jesus. It doesn’t even use the term heaven. But it is a gospel song, a spiritual song. It’s about passing on to the next life. To me, it is such a powerful, beautiful way of sharing,” Rogers said.

In the same way, she said, a SteelDrivers’ gospel collection wouldn’t be “preaching at people or using even the language they’re familiar with. But if the message is the same, why not?”

On Tougher Than Nails, expect the same gutsy, no-holds-barred, gorgeous vocals that we love from The SteelDrivers. Their original gospel songs are as much about the dangers, choices, and blessings of humanity as their songs about liquor, guns, guitars, and heartache.

They ask us to think about Mary Magdalene, and how she balanced love for the man with love for the divine. They wonder if Judas’ heart broke as he fulfilled his destiny of betrayal. And they celebrate the victory of love over the cruelty of crucifixion.

Even “Amazing Grace” is uniquely SteelDrivers – starting with a primitive drone that weaves into the blues-driven rhythms we associate with Black Baptist church choirs.

Chris Jones is one of the most enduring and admired singers in modern bluegrass. He also is a SiriusXM radio host and writer, and a respected commentator on all things bluegrass.

Jones recently recorded “Step Out In the Sunshine.” Jones learned the song from listening to Ralph Stanley on Jones’ “all-time favorite gospel album.” It’s a song of hope and joy.

“I think the feeling and sincerity of gospel music touches all different kinds of people. It has a broad appeal, whether you’re a believer or not,” Jones said.

He noted that many bluegrass fans relate to melodies and arrangements and often overlook the lyrics. He referred to a listener who loved the song, “Julie Ann,” because it was so happy. (It’s up-tempo, but sung by a man begging his wife not to leave him.)
But lyrics do matter to the musicians who sing them.

Jones echoed a sentiment reflected in the gospel choices of High Fidelity and The SteelDrivers. A religious commitment “makes you a little more selective of what you’re willing to sing. Is this a message I really want to send to people?” Jones chooses gospel songs that are welcoming and inclusive.

High Fidelity’s Jeremy Stephens said they avoided lyrics that sounded like condemnation, the ones that say, “You’re bad because you do this and you’re bad because you do that.” He said Music In My Soul “is our hearts talking to your hearts… the Lord said, ‘Come to me as you are.’ There’s so much peace and love and acceptance in him.”

Award-winning singer and guitar player Greg Blake currently performs with his own band as well as with Special Consensus. Blake had a ministry for 30 years before becoming a full-time musician. He said he has learned a lot over the years about judgement, love, and being open-hearted. And his insights inform his choice of spiritually-oriented songs.

“When I was younger, and probably more zealous and less informed, I felt like I needed to be ‘right.’ But as I got older and looked at the teachings of Jesus, I saw that his message was more about right relationships,” rather than proper dogma or theology.

So today, Blake says, “I like to bring into gospel even songs that may not have a strong Christian element, but are just good, positive songs… that leave one with a sense of hope and love and care for one another. I think that’s the message that people of the world need to hear today.”


Photo Credit: Photo of the SteelDrivers courtesy of the artist; photo of High Fidelity by Amy Richmond.

Larry Sparks – Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass

The legendary Larry Sparks, a prominent player in bluegrass for over six decades and a Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee, joins host Tom Power for this episode of Toy Heart. Sparks shares insightful anecdotes from his early years, touring and performing with the Stanley Brothers and from his tenure with Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys. From traveling in a ‘67 station wagon to the challenges of navigating the music industry over so many decades, Sparks reflects on his particular journey through bluegrass, old-time, and country music. We explore his musical influences, his unique approach to bluegrass guitar playing, and the profound impact of gospel songs on his own soulful, down home sound.

LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTSSPOTIFYMP3

Sparks also offers a glimpse into his Nashville days, highlighting the unique challenges he faced in Music City. His stories reveal a dedication to preserving the essence of bluegrass and his commitment to honest storytelling. Hear Sparks describe making hits like “John Deere Tractor” as well as speaking to the spiritual resonance of gospel music. He paints a vivid picture of a musical legacy that spans more than 60 years, leaving an indelible mark on the heart and soul of the bluegrass community.


Photo Credit: Michael Wilson

WATCH: High Fidelity, “Are You Lost in Sin?”

Artist: High Fidelity
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Are You Lost in Sin?”
Album: Music In My Soul
Release Date: September 15, 2023
Label: Rebel Records

In Their Words: “‘Are You Lost in Sin?’ is one that Kurt Stephenson brought to the table. Collectively, we have a special affinity for the early Jim & Jesse Capitol recordings, and High Fidelity has recorded several selections from that era over the years. Here, Jeremy and Kurt even emulate Jesse’s mandolin breaks on the guitar and banjo respectively!

“Incorporating material and stylistic choices from Jim & Jesse has always been a core part of what we do in High Fidelity, and every time we have recorded one of their songs, Jeremy and I couldn’t wait to share it with Jesse McReynolds. Jesse was so supportive of us, and through the years that Jeremy and I were blessed to work with him in the Virginia Boys, he even featured us singing the Jim & Jesse songs we’d recorded on the Opry and beyond!

“This song holds extra special meaning to us as the last Jim & Jesse song we recorded while Jesse was still with us on Earth. We hope this video serves to bring to remembrance Jesse and his amazing legacy while bringing to focus the striking message behind this beautiful Jim & Jesse composition.” – Corrina Rose Logston Stephens

Track Credits: Written by Jim & Jesse McReynolds

Jeremy Stephens – Guitar and Lead Vocal
Corrina Rose Logston Stephens – Fiddle and Harmony Vocal
Kurt Stephenson – Banjo and Harmony Vocal
Daniel Amick – Mandolin
Vickie Vaughn – Bass


Photo Credit: Amy Richmond
Video Credit: Produced and filmed by Warren Swann

MIXTAPE: A Little Bit Gospel, A Little Bit Bluegrass, and Everything in Between

My sophomore album, A Cowgirl Rides On, set to be released October 20, 2023, is a true reflection of my heart and what keeps me going bluegrass, gospel, western, Jesus, horses, love, and even a little bit of heartache. The songs written for the record were hugely inspired by the songs I included on this playlist. All of these artists and songs are ones I hold near and dear and have moved me in some big way.

I became strong in my faith as a Christian in my early 20s, which is around the same time I began performing and writing a ton. Being introduced to gospel and bluegrass had a big impact on me, and it continues to deeply connect me to my faith.

It’s been a longtime dream to release a record that feels a little bit bluegrass, a little bit gospel, and everything in between. Here are the songs that guided me there. I hope you find so much joy in them and that they become the soundtrack to your long drives, or to enjoy over your Sunday pancakes, or during the times you just need a little light. – Victoria Bailey

 “Waiting At the Gate” – Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

This song is one of my alltime favorites. This whole album, Soldier of the Cross, is pure gospel gold. I actually cover this song on my upcoming record, and it was one of the most fun songs for us to record in the studio. Ricky Skaggs is just simply the best.

“Wayfaring Stranger” – Emmylou Harris

This Emmylou Harris album is really the pinpoint of when I fell in love with country music. Many have covered this classic song, but Emmylou’s version of Wayfaring Stranger is my favorite by far. Her voice and the tone of this song are so haunting and beautiful… nothing compares. 

“The Seeker”– Dolly Parton

Oh, Dolly… what would a playlist be without her? Dolly is undeniably the best and has inspired me in so many ways, but especially her love for Jesus and how she ties in a little bit of the gospel to most of her records. This song really gets me moving and grooving around my house. 

“I Just Want to Thank You Lord” – Marshall Family

These harmonies are so good, and they really inspired how I wanted the harmonies to sound on my own record. I also wanted it to feel just as timeless and simple as this song by the Marshall Family. This song ends up being on most of my roadtrip playlists. 

“The Fields Have Turned Brown” – Ralph Stanley

Ralph Stanley is a huge inspiration to me and such an important figure in bluegrass music and in the banjo world. The banjo is one of my alltime favorite sounds, and I included a lot of it on my new record. It just takes you to a good place. 

“Wild and Blue” – Alan Jackson

I turn to this album quite often. What a combo! Alan Jackson and bluegrass/gospel. It’s just so good. 

“Snake Trails” – Victoria Bailey

This is by far my favorite song on the record. It is gospel song I wrote while riding my horse, Weasley, through the canyon one day. It brings me back to that place every time I sing it. It was one of the first written for the project and really sets a tone for the rest of the record. It was inspired by my horse and finding peace and connection to my faith being out on the trails. 

“I Must See Jesus” – Snooks Eaglin

This song always gives me the same feeling as when you just finished a really good movie. My whole heart swells, and it brings me to a really special, peaceful place. His voice is incredible, and you can hear all the passion and honesty and faith in his delivery. 

“End of the Line” – Moonsville Collective

These guys are like family to me and have inspired me endlessly over the years, watching them play and the way they are beautifully representing bluegrass/Americana music. This song, written by Corey Adams, is one that has always hit home hard for me at many times in my life. It is truly one of my favorite songs ever written, and it was an honor that I actually got to cover this song on my upcoming record. 

“I’ll Fly Away” – Gillian Welch, Allison Krauss

When my producer, Brian Whelan, and I sat down to talk about making this record, we referenced the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack often. Not only is this movie legendary, so are all of the musical performers on the soundtrack. We loved the style of the recordings. Live, all in one room together, where you can hear all the cracks and the love, and its exactly what we tried to emulate for my own record. Recording live was such a special part of making A Cowgirl Rides On.

“Where the Soul of Man Never Dies” – Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice

Doesn’t get much better than this duet. This is often a Sunday soundtrack for me. 

“Long Journey Home” – Billy Strings & Terry Barber

Billy Strings is such an amazing representation of modern bluegrass. His sound is timeless, and his guitar playing and songwriting match up to some of my bluegrass heroes. I’ve always loved this song, and he covers it so well. 

“Angel Band” – The Stanley Brothers

This song just always pops in my head any time I hear the word bluegrass. It is so classic and pure, and the harmonies pull on all the heartstrings. 

“Just Like Leaving” – Bella White

I have been a longtime Bella White fan, and she is such an important female artist in keeping the bluegrass sound alive. The rest of the record is incredible as well. 

“Green Green Grass of Home” – Merle Haggard

You can’t have a playlist without Merle. This song always brings me to tears and really is a beautiful representation of Merle’s songwriting and voice. 


Photo Credit: Stefanie Lee Johnson

WATCH: High Fidelity, “The Mighty Name of Jesus”

Artist: High Fidelity
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Mighty Name of Jesus”
Album: Music In My Soul
Release Date: September 15, 2023
Label: Rebel Records

In Their Words: “‘The Mighty Name of Jesus’ is an incredibly special song to me. It came to me at a time in my life when I was struggling with mysterious health issues, and all I had to get me through was my faith in the Lord. Early one morning, I woke up with it playing in my head like a recording. I knew I could easily fall right back asleep, and I actually started to, but I thought, ‘I better just grab my phone to record this.’ I was so sleepy that I actually forgot that it existed for a few days! When I finally remembered something about it and listened to the voice memo, I was a bit in shock. It was like listening to a song for the first time, only it was me singing it! I had gotten three verses and two distinct choruses that morning. As I wrote out the words, the fourth verse came to me, so I wrote it out, too. I could talk on and on about the amazing things with this song. I hope it is an incredible blessing to everyone who hears it!

“Much like the making of this song, there are so many special things I could talk about in the making of this video! Location after location fell through right up until the morning of the video shoot when the weather threatened to rain on our only day available for shooting. Love Circle was a location that came to me while desperately praying for ideas and direction, and it turned out to be absolutely amazing. The unique weather that day combined with our videographer Warren Swann’s artistic touch created an indescribable texture quality to this video that almost feels like Technicolor. It’s hard to believe that this is the first video High Fidelity has shot in our hometown of Nashville proper. The city has changed so much through the years, but we still love and care deeply for it. To be able to perform this song of healing and deliverance right there in our hometown with our beautiful city skyline behind us was beyond special. As the ‘songwriter,’ I feel so incredibly blessed to have received a song like this and to get to perform it with High Fidelity — I hope it can be a blessing and encouragement!”  ̶  Corrina Rose Logston Stephens


Photo Credit: Amy Richmond

LISTEN: The Chuck Wagon Gang, “I Will Not Cry Today”

Artist: The Chuck Wagon Gang
Hometown: The current members are pretty scattered, but The Chuck Wagon Gang originated in Fort Worth, Texas
Song: “I Will Not Cry Today”
Album: Come Go With Me
Release Date: June 30, 2023
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Our main focus for this Chuck Wagon Gang recording was to find new songs. We had received several from writer Tami Pockstellar, who had written ‘Two Gardens’ from our previous project. Tami’s lyrics and melodies capture the freshness we were searching for, and ‘I Will Not Cry Today’ is a perfect example. It was challenging but fun to add this exciting bluegrass-styled song. I really believe these lyrics will be uplifting to listeners because they encourage us to keep pressing on, no matter the situation we find ourselves in.” – Shaye Smith, The Chuck Wagon Gang

“’I Will Not Cry Today’ was a great opportunity to feature The Chuck Wagon Gang as a trio and bring in some bluegrass-styled accompaniment, which the group wanted to feature on this album. The bluegrass world has always had a kinship with the music of the original Chuck Wagon Gang and it was special to be able to blend the two worlds together on this new song for the Gang.” – Jeremy Stephensproducer


Photo Credit: Jared Pyfer

LISTEN: Justin Hiltner & Jon Weisberger, “Walking Into Gloryland”

Artist: Justin Hiltner & Jon Weisberger
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee, and Brevard, North Carolina
Song: “Walking Into Gloryland” (featuring Ashleigh Caudill, Wendy Hickman, Corrina Rose Logston, Darren Nicholson, and Laura Ray)
Album: Room at the Table
Release Date: May 27, 2022

In Their Words: “Jon and I both adore bluegrass gospel, so when we began brainstorming our next release together the idea for a gospel project was a true lightbulb moment. We pulled a few songs from Jon and Ashleigh Caudill’s co-write catalog, wrote a new one together, and selected a couple of traditional hymns that I grew up singing. We love to treat music-making as an exercise in community building as well, so we tried to think outside of our usual circles to gather the pickers and singers for this set of songs. We’re so proud of the result and even more proud of the message in this EP!” — Justin Hiltner

“We’ve always firmly believed that bluegrass is for everyone. With this EP, we want to make the point that all of bluegrass is for everyone — bluegrass gospel, too.” — Jon Weisberger

Justin Hiltner · Walking Into Gloryland

Photo credit: Jammer Hiltner Photo