BGS and MerleFest are so excited to once again partner to bring you exclusive clips and sessions captured on site during the incredible 2026 MerleFest event in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. We launched our off-season collaboration with the long-running bluegrass and roots music festival by sharing performances from the MerleFest Late Night Jam with the Grand Ole Opry, featuring Old Crow Medicine Show and Maggie Rose.
For our second installment in the series, we stepped away from the rowdy and raucous Late Night Jam for a more traditional session and a wonderful set from none other than Charles Wesley Godwin. After that, Willie Watson delivered a blend of songs, stories, and personal memories in a thoughtful solo performance. We were also treated to an invigorating set from an up-and-coming East Kentucky band, The Creekers, and some splendid singing from The Band Loula.
In this latest offering, we hear three songs from Broken Compass Bluegrass, a group from the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California that made their MerleFest debut in 2026. In addition to performing three songs, the ensemble explains how the landscape influences the music they write, which turns into a larger conversation about how bluegrass music can connect with people all over the world.
Broken Compass Bluegrass is composed of Kyle Ledson, Django Kale Ruckrich, Mei Lin Heirendt and Sam Jacobs. By the way, Ruckrich was around 5 years old when he first attended MerleFest and played “Nine Pound Hammer” on the Little Pickers stage, making this Merlefest Session a wonderful full-circle moment. Enjoy “End of the World” from Broken Compass Bluegrass’ debut album, as well as two new songs, “Whisper of a Witch” and “Bound to Make It Better,” from an upcoming release.
