WATCH: Zoe & Cloyd, “Where Do You Stand”

Artist: Zoe & Cloyd
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Where Do You Stand”
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Where Do You Stand’ is a commentary on the state of our national discourse. We had the idea for the line, ‘When all that’s left is left, right, or wrong’ in regards to the hyper-polarization we’ve been seeing for a while and we built the song from there. We wanted the song and video to be thought provoking and a call to action. Some people will always attempt to pit us against one another for personal and political gain but we can’t let divisive, inflammatory rhetoric win the day. For us to move forward, we must find common ground on which to build a path toward a just and sustainable future.

“We filmed the video not far from our house in Fairview, North Carolina, outside of Asheville. The old building with the painted tree is right along the road and we thought it was a quirky rural spot that contrasted nicely with the political imagery. The other location was an abandoned ball court that had some interesting delineated grass with a sort of ‘line in the sand’ vibe. It also looked a bit post-apocalyptic. The fence shots represent several concerns such as the border wall, the lack of voice and access in certain communities, and feelings of powerlessness to change the status quo.” — John Cloyd Miller


Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: The Alex Leach Band, “Take the Long Way Home”

Artist: The Alex Leach Band
Hometown: Jacksboro, Tennessee
Song: “Take the Long Way Home”
Release Date: May 15, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “After writing the song, my wife and I had a vision of how we thought the video would look. With plenty of help from our Mountain Home family and our band, we were able to make our vision a reality; complete with a ’60s, bright orange VW Microbus and bell-bottoms for all! Each of us got to unleash a bit of our inner, free spirit for the video, and we think the outcome gives off the perfect vibe. We hope you enjoy this groovy journey with us as we ‘Take the Long Way Home.'” — Alex Leach


Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: Mark Stoffel, “Shadowbands”

Artist: Mark Stoffel
Hometown: My birthplace and original hometown is Munich, Germany. My adopted hometown is Murphysboro, Illinois
Song: “Shadowbands”
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “This tune came to me relatively quickly while warming up for a show in Auburn, Alabama, in 2017. It also happened to be in the year of the wondrous transcontinental total solar eclipse and my chosen home near Murphysboro, Illinois, lay smack in the middle of the path. It seemed just right to name the tune after an amazing phenomenon associated with a total eclipse: ‘Shadowbands.’ (Google it.) My hobby astronomy friends assure me that the tune actually captures the mystique of shadow bands!

“The musicians, which I am honored to call very close friends of mine, all live scattered around the world, so we produced this video in an extreme socially-distanced fashion: Ross Sermons shot his bass part near Hobart, Tasmania. Niall Murphy, fiddle, posed for his part in South Armagh, Northern Ireland; and Gina Furtado, banjo, picked her scenic spot near her hometown of Winchester, Virginia. Josh, the guitarist, and I captured our parts in Alto Pass, Illinois. It was a lot of fun to put together, both the recording and the video. I hope it shows. Cheers, everybody!” — Mark Stoffel


Photo credit: Mary Stoffel

LISTEN: Balsam Range, “Richest Man”

Artist: Balsam Range
Hometown: Haywood County, North Carolina
Song: “Richest Man”
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Who has not thought about being the richest man? But what defines being rich? To have a life without regrets is easier said than done. The sacrifices made for gain can seldom be undone. The things lost and those won will only show with time. The old saying ‘You can’t take it with you’ comes to mind when I hear ‘Richest Man’ and the theme resonates throughout the song as it states, ‘We’re all going out the same way that we came in…with nothing. So why in the world are we always worried about nothing, for nothing?’” — Buddy Melton, Balsam Range

Crossroads Label Group · Balsam Range – Richest Man

Photo credit: David Simchock

LISTEN: Zoe & Cloyd, “Where Do You Stand”

Artist: Zoe & Cloyd
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Where Do You Stand”
Release Date: May 8, 2020
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Where Do You Stand’ is a commentary on the state of our national discourse. Often, it’s the farthest ends of the political spectrum that make the news and it seems like inflammatory rhetoric is the only thing that gets heard these days. I’d like for us to remember that we’re all connected and are more alike than we are different, no matter who tries to convince us otherwise. For us to move forward, we have to find common ground on which to build a path toward a sustainable future.” — John Cloyd Miller

Crossroads Label Group · Zoe & Cloyd – Where Do You Stand

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: The Gina Furtado Project, “The Things I Saw”

Artist: The Gina Furtado Project
Hometown: Winchester, Virginia
Song: “The Things I Saw”
Release Date: April 24, 2020 (single)
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “‘The Things I Saw’ is just a song about my experiences of growing up on the Shenandoah River. All throughout my childhood I went to the river when I needed comfort of any kind. No matter what happened in my life, good or bad, the river stayed the same. The plants and critters and smells and sounds became like old friends; always welcoming and beautiful in every way, and utterly unstoppable.” — Gina Furtado


Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

WATCH: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, “We Needed This Ride”

Artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “We Needed This Ride”
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “The song is a very recent one of mine that tells the tale of a romantic reunion on a long-anticipated road trip. The journey is more important than the destination in this case. This is the first song we’ve recorded with new Night Drivers Grace van’t Hof and Marshall Wilborn. Grace plays banjo in the band but doubles on ukulele on some songs, which is a little unusual for a bluegrass band, but I’m loving the texture it brings to some of our material. I thought it would be cool to really announce her presence by starting the song with a baritone uke rhythm vamp, which really gives it a different sound right off the bat. Then she switches to banjo midway through the song.” — Chris Jones


Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: Thomm Jutz, “Where The Bluebirds Call”

Artist: Thomm Jutz
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Where The Bluebirds Call”
Album: To Live In Two Worlds, Volume 1
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “Englishman Cecil Sharp travelled all over Appalachia in search of ancient British verse and melody thought lost in England. He travelled extensively through the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee to find these songs. They are documented in his collection English Folk Songs From The Southern Appalachians, which, as my friend and co-writer Tim Stafford says, is ‘as close to the horse’s mouth as you can get.’ I feel Cecil’s fascination with these songs in my bones. It is the essence of what keeps my musical world turning, and it’s always calling me home.” — Thomm Jutz


Photo credit: Jefferson Ross

LISTEN: Fireside Collective, “Bring It on Home”

Artist: Fireside Collective
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Song: “Bring It On Home”
Album: Elements
Release Date: March 20, 2020
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “We love all genres, especially funk. Getting to show that side of our band is always fun and a nice break from bluegrass, which we also love. Carson and Jesse worked a lot on getting the bass line as groovy as possible and I think they succeeded in making this one extra funky!” — Tommy Maher, dobro

“‘Bring It On Home’ is a great example of what can be done with bluegrass instruments outside of the bluegrass groove. The song begins with a unison riff before branching out into a funky groove with tight harmonies and tasty fills and solos to match. While it doesn’t land in the bluegrass groove, this song is a great example of where the genre is heading.” — Alex Genova, banjo


Photo credit: Heather Hambor

MIXTAPE: Sideline’s Motivation Music

When we sat down to put together this mixtape we realized that the best playlist to pull from had already been created by Steve Dilling, our banjo player. These are songs that we actively listen to on a weekly basis. The theme also became obvious, because it truly is why we listen to these songs — motivation.

Sideline has been an actively touring group for about six years. We had started out with only four to six shows a year. Now we’re up to 130 shows, meaning roughly 200 days away from home. Road life isn’t easy, especially when it’s that heavy. Being pulled away from home and family for that long. Traveling hundreds of miles day and night. It can be easy to get weary and drawn. When we want to get a glimpse at the reason why we do this, and why we really love it so much to go through it all, we pull out this playlist.

We could’ve had a weekend of tough crowds, or maybe tough income. We’ve had several breakdowns that have left us sitting there feeling as low as one can get. So we pull out this playlist. It’s the perfect combination of songs to not only pull you out of the ditch, but get you excited and ready to take whatever is in front of you. It motivates us and gives us something to strive for musically. We hope you get the same motivation from it as we do! — Skip Cherryholmes, Sideline

Ronnie Milsap – “Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)”

Ronnie Milsap knows how to make you feel every single word. The way he comes back in on the last chorus, and his ending tag line are especially significant. Unbridled emotion. Unbridled talent.

Lee Ann Womack – “Never Again, Again”

This song just hits you in the face right out of the gate. The lead and harmony vocals are so tight and emotional all at once. It’s so sad, and it has so much power behind it.

Ronnie Milsap – “Stranger Things Have Happened”

Another vocal gem. This song was recorded at a time when tuning and pitch fixing didn’t exist. The performance is passionate and flawless. Whether you pull from the lows or the highs of this song, it will not leave you wanting anything but just more of it.

The Doobie Brothers – “Long Train Running”

This song has so much drive and groove, accompanied by energetic harmonies. As a band that focuses heavily on rhythm, this song always gets the creative juices flowing.

Stevie Wonder – “Superstition”

This song is all groove. There is so much space between beats. At first glance you might feel like it’s nice and even, but then you realize that it pushes the whole way through. It can physically excite you with every turnaround.

The Bluegrass Album Band – “Blue Ridge Cabin Home”

There really isn’t a bad Bluegrass Album Band song, but this is one for the history books. J.D. Crowe and Tony Rice’s performance has set the standard for so many musicians. It is 100% bluegrass in its most natural form, and it is always just as exciting.

Kansas – “Carry on Wayward Son”

Vocals. Rhythm. Energy. Arrangement. Lead guitar work. This song has every bit of these elements to the max. It changes time signatures three times and changes grooves twice, all seamlessly. It hits the excitement nerve nonstop.

Journey – “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”

Steve Perry’s vocal is immaculate. The song has such a drive behind it. The intro is iconic, and catches your attention from the very first notes.

Nickel Creek – “Smoothie Song”

Chris Thile is one of the most brilliant players of our time. This song creates a blend of intricate performance and aggressive energy. The beat drives hard, as does Chris’ right hand on the bouzouki.

Sideline – “Crash Course in the Blues”

This song was fun to put together. We were looking for a song that we could jam to and have fun with. Steve came across this Steve Wariner tune one day and it was a perfect fit. It really gives everyone a chance to shine! We tracked it as live as possible to capture that fun energy.

Sideline – “Return to Windy Mountain”

There is nothing like a good story song and the life of Melvin Goins is a great story. This song has nods and elements to his classic sound, along with our own take on things. Finding the blend between the music and the lyrics is one of the best parts about recording and it made this song a blast to put together.

Sideline – “Thunder Dan”

When we put this song together we had no idea what it would do when it came out, let alone that it would win IBMA’s Song of the Year. It’s a catchy tune with a cool story. It was all about playing it to a mean groove and giving the lyrics the best background. People really took to it, singing along and requesting it everywhere.


Photo credit: Stephanie Cherryholmes