Lonesome River Band is on the cover of the March/April issue of Bluegrass Music Profiles.
The article is in the form of an interview with Brandon, and he talks about our newest CD, No Turning Back, about coming back to the band after having left, and about his songwriting.
A sample of the article can be found online, where you can also find details about subscribing to BMP or buying this single issue.
I hope everyone has had a wonderful winter! I have, although I am looking forward to Spring. Where I live, near Detroit, MI, has seen record snowfall amounts this year and I am almost tired of it. But I suppose it comes with the territory — literally. We have had a great beginning to our 2009 touring season. February 7th brought us to the campus of Denison University in Granville, OH to participate in a band workshop sponsored by the Denison music department as well as a concert later that evening. We really enjoyed the opportunity to share some of our knowledge as well as learn from some other very curious students. Casey Cook, guitarist with the ‘Dappled Grays’ based in Atlanta, does a lot of work with the bluegrass ensemble and is doing a terrific job. The day was a huge success. We also just got back from a great show in Fredricksburg, VA sponsored by the wonderful folks at Bluegrass FM. We shared the stage with a wonderful relatively new band to the scene, “Gold Heart.” I would encourage you to check out their website and go see this band when they are near your town. They are some great folks. Special thanks also to Pete and the gang at Bluegrass FM for making us feel so welcome. We really enjoyed being there.
The ‘World of Bluegrass’ proved to be a very good event for LRB this year. We’re thankful to have participated in the many showcases to which we were invited as well as closing Saturday’s show at FanFest. We also had a blast a the Station Inn on Thursday night. The Station was jam-packed with a bunch of you wonderful LRB fans. Special thanks to the whole gang over there including J.T., Ann, Lynn, and our great friend Steve Thomas for doing a great job with the sound. We also sold a lot of the new CD, “No Turning Back” throughout the week. If you don’t have a copy yet, check out our product page and get yours soon! We’re looking forward to being up in Roxboro, NC this weekend. Come out and party with us!
Sammy and Sue Shelor announced recently that the Grand Opening of the Corn Maze at Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market would be held during the Chinquapin Festival on August 30, 31 and September 1, 2008 (Labor Day Weekend). To see this year’s theme and design click here.
What can I say except that we have had a tremendous year so far. We’ve been everywhere from Michigan to Florida, California to Connecticut, and have met some very wonderful people. We have also enjoyed the many venues we have had the opportunity to perform. We’re especially looking forward to the festival at Gettysburg, PA this next weekend because we will have our new CD with us! I hope that you’ll be able to come out and enjoy a great bluegrass festival and take ‘No Turning Back’ home with you. We are very proud of this new project because it retains that great LRB feel while purporting a different spin on it as well. Please let us know what you think after you’ve heard it. We would love your feedback. You can leave comments for us at www.myspace.com/lonesomeriver . I’m also attaching a photo from the festival in Milan, MI that we performed at last week. I’m very proud of the pic, showing Don Rigsby, Jeff Parker, and myself hanging out backstage. I have great respect for the path those guys paved for me in this band. They are such great talents. Enjoy!
Hey there. We just finished tracking a brand new CD that I think you guys are gonna love. There is still a lot of work to be done, such as the mixing, mastering, and the business side of it that has to be taken care of before we can release it, but we have 14 songs that have come together to create a very diverse album. We have included everything from several tunes that carry that classic LRB drivin’ grass, a funky instrumental, a very poetic gospel song that really captures the imagery of Christ’s crucifixion, and a cry-your-eyes-out country ballad. I have no doubt that you will enjoy it as much as we did creating it. Special thanks to Mountain Fever Recording Studios in Willis, VA, specifically Mark and Karen Hodges – Mark for keeping the atmosphere very upbeat, happy, and easy – Karen for keeping our bellies full! Mark has a great studio located in beautiful Floyd County, VA. We definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonable solution to their recording needs. I have attached a picture for your enjoyment of Brandon in the middle of recording a guitar track — you can see the determination in his eyes! Come see us in Clay City, KY this weekend!!!!!
As expected, we had a wonderful time at the Old Rock School this past weekend. NC fans are some of our most vocal and they were in the mood to express it that night. Much thanks goes to everyone who is involved with keeping bluegrass music a mainstay at the ‘Rock.’ We are so glad to be a part of it every year. We also want to thank our friend Missy Pyne for the great photos she took of the show. One is posted below and some more are posted on the photos page of our Myspace site, www.myspace.com/lonesomeriver. Also, starting this Monday, we will start working on a brand new CD that will hopefully be out by Spring. We are very excited about what the final product will be. I think you all will like it! Check back periodically as I will post some comments on how the project is going. Have a great week!
We just returned from a wonderful weekend at the Blythe Bluegrass Festival in Blythe, CA. We were there for two days and really got to enjoy the wonderful show as well as getting to know the many people who a part of that great festival. This was my first time ever being in that part of the country, needless to say I was excited to be able to go. Blythe is a town that’s pretty small, so when we pulled into town on the night before our first show, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. But on the next day, I soon realized that my assumptions were totally wrong! That festival was packed with several thousand people who were there to take in some great music. I can’t wait to go back. This is a great festival that I hope to work again very soon. We’re looking forward to being at the Old Rock School in Valdese, NC on the 26th. Tickets are going FAST!!! It was at this show in Valdese exactly a year ago that was my first show with LRB. I can’t believe how the year has flown by. I’m excited about marking this anniversary and hope you’ll be there too!
Hey guys, I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas and New Years’. We have had a very nice break over the past month which has allowed us to spend some much needed time with our families around the holidays. But the break is over and we have started back for the 2008 season. We just returned from Haines City, FL Bluegrass Festival where the weather was perfect and the atmosphere was ripe for a great time! This was also LRB’s first show with Mike Hartgrove back on fiddle. Mike did an extremely great job, just as if he never took that 2 year hiatus! I was able for the first time to actually spend some time with Mike and get to know him a bit. I have to say that he is a terrific guy and a team player, concerned about doing his best to make the show as great as possible. Actually, that’s the desire of the rest of us as well! We can’t wait to see you soon! Keep up with our schedule and make note to come out and see us when we’re in a town near you.
We just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving day! As a band, we have much to be thankful for today, especially the wonderful year we have had working together and getting to perform for and meet so many of you. We’re also thankful to have had a very safe year considering the many thousands of miles we traveled. Last weekend, we worked our last show for 2007 in Owings Mill, MD at the Gordon Center for the Performing Arts. Everything went well and the crowd was great. We hope to get to go back sometime soon. We’re also discussing the particulars of getting into the studio sometime over the winter and getting a new CD out hopefully by spring. We’ll definitely be keeping you updated as to how that is coming along. We are all very excited about getting something out with this band. We’re very confident that it’ll be great and that you all will enjoy it. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Have a wonderful holiday season!