Steep Canyon Rangers is poised to drop their latest LP this fall (September 2023), Morning Shift. Hominy Valley (seen/heard here) is the first single released ahead of the LP and it is quite a teaser! The band has redefined bluegrass music in its own image for over two decades and still finds ways to make it sound fresh.  The group is instantly recognizable to many due to their close relationship and co-touring with comedian and banjoist Steve Martin. Hominy Valley is auditory proof that bluegrass can still be accessible to modern audiences.

Hominy Valley tells a folk story in several chapters starting with this one:

“Two Cherokee scouts were tracking General Rutherford’s march through the Swannanoa hills
The Yanks got wise and poisoned Caney Creek and one of them braves got killed
He’s buried sitting beneath an oak tree
Sitting up so he can keep his watch over Hominy Valley
I think he’s watching me

And all I’ve got to go on is three lines in a book that nobody reads
And the gash in the crook of the tree that never heals
Sure enough there’s a rise about three feet high
And I can follow the line of his eyes out across the field
Across Hominy Valley
I think he’s watching me still”

The message within is all about preserving history. 

Steep Canyon Rangers is made up of Graham Sharp (banjo), Mike Guggino (mandolin, mandola), Aaron Burdett (guitar), Nicky Sanders (fiddle), Mike Ashworth (drums), Barrett Smith (bass, guitar), with each member contributing vocals as well. You can find out more about the band by heading up to their website which has nearly everything you need, including social, streaming, store, biography, tour, video, and contact links. The only thing missing is a link to the group’s bandcamp.com site. 

Check out Steep Canyon Rangers now and dig into their back catalog of music. Consider a pre-order of Morning Shift from their bandcamp.com site too.