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Listen to Della Mae's version of "No Rain" here!

A sad time on Harmony Ranch. Our great friend and collaborator Steve Arwood, aka Texas Bix Bender, The Voice That Sold A Million Baby Chicks Over Border Radio, passed away unexpectedly on December 28, 2023. Every once in awhile you find a true friend, somebody who knows you well enough to finish your sentences when you pause for a second. And then once in a very, very great while you’re lucky enough to find somebody who not only finishes your sentence, but takes it in an unexpectedly clever hilarious direction that you didn’t see coming, building on your idea and then building on the next idea as well. And you make something together that’s better and funnier than what either of you could come up with by yourself. That was Bix and me. He was a true collaborator in every sense. We met in 1981, I think, when he had the idea of producing a Riders TV show which eventually became Tumbleweed Theatre on the Nashville Network. We started cranking out scripts and kept at it for almost 20 years. A rough count adds up to close to 150 TV shows, 250 public radio shows, a couple albums, and a book. Ranger Doug, Woody, Joey, and Zeno all contributed to these scripts, but Bix and I did the heavy lifting. We’d meet in a conference room, or his kitchen, or some motel room, and improvise, making each other laugh until we literally fell on the floor. One of Bix’s gifts was organizing our improv moments into a cohesive narrative which, on some cosmic comedy level, made sense. To say we shared a million laughs is an underestimation. More like ten million. And that was even before rehearsal. We didn’t agree on everything, but if one of us had a really strong opinion, the other guy would usually back away. Bix was a sweet man, a kind, humble man, a charming man, and the best friend you could have. By a lucky stroke of fate, my son George and I had lunch with Bix on his last day. We laughed of course, talked books, American colonial history, Texas politics, our four decades football wager, and reminisced about Riders Radio Theatre bits, regaling George with jokes and situations we still found funny. We hugged in the parking lot, said we loved each other, and he drove home to his precious Sally. Rest In Peace, Bix. Fred “Too Slim” Labour, 12/31/23

Check out Chatham County Line's new music video for their single, "Right On Time." The band's new album, Hiyo, will be released January 26, 2024 via Yep Rock Records.

Congratulations to The Great Divide, who won big at the Texas Country Music Awards on Sunday, November 12th. The band was awarded Song of the Year, Country Band of the Year, and Keyboard Player of the Year which went to Bryce Conway. Check out the latest performance of their song "Milk Cow Blues" below.

It was announced on Friday, Nov. 10 that GRAMMY® Award-winning troubadour Rodney Crowell has received a GRAMMY® Award nomination for Best Americana Album. The recognition is for Crowell's new record, The Chicago Sessions, produced by Jeff Tweedy and engineered by Tom Schick, which has received immense worldwide acclaim. "I'm filled with gratitude that The Chicago Sessions has been recognized by the Recording Academy," Crowell said. "I owe a huge debt of thanks to New West Records and to Jeff Tweedy, Tom Schick and the superb musicians without whom the songs surely wouldn't speak for themselves. And to my daughter, Chelsea, who first visualized the collaborative possibilities." Crowell is the songwriter's songwriter and an icon among giants. A native Texan, Crowell's work has resulted in fifteen number one hits. Over the course of his career, Crowell has gracefully blended his own mainstream success as an artist with a prolific catalog of songs cut by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Keith Urban and more, making him a master among his peers. The 2024 (66th) GRAMMY® Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 4, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California and will air live at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and will stream on Paramount+.

COLBY T. HELMS FINDS “DADDY’S POCKET KNIFE” - AND HIS OWN SENSE OF PURPOSE - IN NEW SONG AND VIDEO OUT TODAY The track is the second preview from Helms’ upcoming debut album, ‘Tales Of Misfortune’ due 1.19 via Photo Finish Records Today (11.8), 21-year-old Appalachian phenom Colby T. Helms shares his latest single, “Daddy’s Pocket Knife.” The vulnerable track centers around Helms’ journey through grief and reconciliation. After the passing of his father at age 12, Helms searched everywhere for the pocket knife his father carried every day of his life, but was unable to find it. Years later, in a completely random moment, Helms happened upon it in the bottom of a drawer, right where his late father had intended him to find it, opening a flood of suppressed emotion in the process. Colby has said he lost himself when his father passed, but finding the rusty piece of steel renewed his sense of purpose and set him on the path to a life in music. The “Daddy’s Pocket Knife” (Live Performance) video – also out today – features Helms alongside his band The Virginia Creepers, and was filmed live from his hometown of Boones Mill, VA. Watch the “Daddy’s Pocket Knife” (Live Performance) video above and here Listen to “Daddy’s Pocket Knife” here The track is the second preview of Helms’ upcoming debut album, Tales Of Misfortune. Out January 19th via Photo Finish Records, the 8-track collection recounts his origin story and artistic coming-of-age, drawing inspiration from his upbringing in small-town Appalachia. After the release of the album’s lead single “Higher Ground,” American Songwriter hailed that Helms’ brand of bone-raw brand of country folk has “the name, the background, and the music to become the next big thing in country.” Pre-save Tales of Misfortune here. About Colby T. Helms: At the bottom of the Southwest Virginia foothills half-a-mile from the nearest neighbor, Colby T. Helms resides in an “underground house” built by his late father on land his family has owned for generations. Helms first dreamed of making music his life at the age of 12, when a group of Blue Ridge Mountain old-time and bluegrass players performed songs like The Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ “Standing On The Rock” and the gospel classic “A Beautiful Life” at his father’s funeral in Boones Mill, VA. He taught himself guitar, banjo, and mandolin by watching local performers and YouTube videos, and by age 18 he was a veteran performer in the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Mountains region, fronting his band The Virginia Creepers. About Photo Finish Records: Photo Finish Records is an independent record label boasting a diverse artist roster including alternative rock, indie pop and hip hop. The label was created and founded by Matt Galle and in 2021 celebrated its fifteenth year of success. As the label grew and developed, Matt brought in his business partner Mike Marquis to co-run the label with him. PFR is known for developing and breaking an eclectic roster of artists such as 3OH!3, SHAED, Marian Hill, MisterWives, ROZES, The Mowgli's, and newer signings The Maine, Colby T. Helms, Delacey, Billy Lockett, AVIV, Elliot Lee, and joan. SHAED’s track "Trampoline" is triple platinum in the US with over 2 billion streams worldwide, 3OH!3's debut album "Want" is certified Gold with 3 platinum singles and over 15 million singles sold which includes collaborations with Katy Perry, Wiz Khalifa, Kid Cudi, Lil' Jon and Ke$ha. Marian Hill's releases including their debut album “Act One” have sold 12 million tracks making big waves with the breakthrough hit "Down" as well as successful albums from MisterWives and their gold single "Reflections," Anthony Green, Handsome Ghost, and many others. Matt Galle and Mike Marquis are well known and respected leaders in the music industry having both been recognized in Billboard’s 40 under 40 and three years (2020, 2021, 2022) in a row on Billboard’s Indie Power Players list. The team is located in NYC and PFR is distributed through Virgin Music, Label and Artist Services. Follow Colby T. Helms here: Website: https://www.colbyhelms.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colby.t.helms/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@colby.t.helms Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colbythelmsmusic/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@colbythelms9940 Upcoming Colby T. Helms Tour Dates: 11/25 - R.W. Shucks Block Party - Martinsville, VA 12/2 - A Very Merry Larry Keel Experience at 5 Points Music Sanctuary - Roanoke, VA 5/3 - Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival 2024 - Martinsville, VA

Band Embraces Freedom to Evolve on Highly Anticipated Tenth Studio Album Hiyo Out January 26 on Yep Rock Records Listen/Share: "Right On Time" North Carolina’s Chatham County Line debut “Right On Time,” the first song unveiled from their highly anticipated tenth studio album Hiyo, out January 26 on Yep Roc Records. Building from a dreamy instrumental to a rollicking, harmony-driven ode to young love and the open road, the album’s rousing opening track balances nostalgia with the contemporary setting the stage for the band’s first album in four years. Listen/share: “Right On Time” “The best music is made with complete total freedom,” says singer/guitarist Dave Wilson. “We spent a lot of years pushing at the fences, but with this album, we’ve finally busted out of the corral.” Fueled by new sounds, collaborators, and experimenting with fresh sonic palettes and innovative approaches to instrumentations, Hiyo marks an evolution for the band, who spent 15 years performing around a single microphone and chose to add a drummer to their touring lineup after the 2020 departure of their banjo player. Recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain, the album was co-produced by Dave Wilson and Rachael Moore (Kacey Musgraves, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss), whom the band befriended during a stint serving as the backing band on the Showtime series George & Tammy, shot in Wilmington, NC. “I could tell the guys were ready to go somewhere new, and I wanted to see how far we could stretch the boundaries,” offers Moore. “We agreed we’d still do things thoughtfully and be true to who they were, but this felt like a chance to explore some springs that they maybe hadn't gotten to tap into before.” The resulting album takes Chatham County Line’s enduring sound and injects it with an adventurous spirit of discovery and vitality, incorporating synthesizers, drum machines, and more electric guitar and percussion than ever before, rounded out by Dave Wilson’s classic songwriting – rich, evocative tales of love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow, revenge and righteousness. “There’s this liberating element to getting rid of all the preconceptions about who we are and what we sound like, and I think it shows in these songs,” says Dave Wilson. A roots music staple for over two decades, Chatham County Line – Dave Wilson (vocal, guitars, harmonica, synthesizer, banjo); John Teer (mandolin, fiddle, guitars, vocal); and Greg Readling (bass, pedal steel, piano, clavinet, organ, vocal) – built a devoted following on the strength of their genre-bending live show before breaking out internationally in 2003 with their self-titled debut. Since then, the band’s critically acclaimed albums have topped Billboard Bluegrass charts four times, they’ve shared the bill with the likes of Lyle Lovett and Guy Clark to The Avett Brothers and Steve Martin & Martin Short, and have collaborated with Judy Collins, Sharon Van Etten, and Jonas Fjeld. Hiyo Tracklisting: 1. Right On Time 2. Magic 3. Way Down Yonder 4. Heaven 5. Lone Ranger 6. B S R 7. Under The Willow Tree 8. She’s Got You 9. Stone 10. Summerline

New Frontier Touring Artists Vickie Vaughn of Della Mae and Trey Hensley were awarded Bass Player of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year, respectively, at the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Presented by Yamaha. The Awards show, hosted by artists Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, was held September 28 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. Both were first-time winners at the IBMA Awards. Congratulations Vickie and Trey! IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.

Today (9.13), 21-year-old Appalachian phenom Colby T. Helms announces his debut album, Tales of Misfortune. Out January 19th via Photo Finish Records, Helms penned all the songs on the semi-autobiographical concept album as a senior in high school. Produced by Helms’ mentor and Boones Mill, VA-fiddle-legend Billy Hurt, the 8-track collection recounts his origin story and artistic coming of age. As if in a dream, Helms delivers a devotional to his father who died of cancer when Colby was 12 and inspired his path in music, wrestles with the traveling troubadour’s life he has chosen, and acknowledges the mystical pull of his hometown that keeps bringing him back. Today, Helms shares the first preview of the album’s bone-raw brand of country folk with his debut single, “Higher Ground.” Striking a dynamic balance between country storytelling, bluegrass energy, and blues power, Helms details his time spent on the road with stark honesty and a sharp angular twang. The day he turned 16, Helms bought a stick-shift Jeep Wrangler, and hit the road playing for anyone who would have him. He hasn’t looked back since. On the heels of his debut single, Helms will open for Marty Stuart at the Annapolis Songwriters Festival on Sept. 16, and will make his AmericanaFest debut in Nashville, TN next week. Stream “Higher Ground” here Pre-Save Tales of Misfortune here Watch the album’s official trailer above and here Tales of Misfortune Tracklist: First Snow Dreaming Again Higher Ground Mountain Brandy Dove Song Leanne Smoke and Flames Daddy’s Pocket Knife All songs written by Colby T. Helms and produced by Billy Hurt Upcoming Colby T. Helms Tour Dates: 9/16 - Annapolis Songwriters Festival in Annapolis, MD** 9/21 - AmericanaFest Day-Party @ The Basement in Nashville, TN 9/30 - Rocky Mount 150th Festival in Rocky Mount, VA 10/7 - Albino Skunk Music Festival in Greer, SC 10/15 - GO Outside Festival in Roanoke, VA 11/25 - Seafood Festival in Martinsville, VA **denotes opening for Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives About Colby T. Helms: At the bottom of the Southwest Virginia foothills half-a-mile from the nearest neighbor, Colby T. Helms resides in an “underground house” built by his late father on land his family has owned for generations. Helms first dreamed of making music his life at the age of 12, when a group of Blue Ridge Mountain old-time and bluegrass players performed songs like The Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ “Standing On The Rock” and the gospel classic “A Beautiful Life” at his father’s funeral in Boones Mill, VA. He taught himself guitar, banjo, and mandolin by watching local performers and YouTube videos, and by age 18 he was a veteran performer in the Blue Ridge/Appalachian Mountains region, fronting his band The Virginia Creepers. About Photo Finish Records: Photo Finish Records is an independent record label boasting a diverse artist roster including alternative rock, indie pop and hip hop. The label was created and founded by Matt Galle and in 2021 celebrated its fifteenth year of success. As the label grew and developed, Matt brought in his business partner Mike Marquis to co-run the label with him. PFR is known for developing and breaking an eclectic roster of artists such as 3OH!3, SHAED, Marian Hill, MisterWives, ROZES, The Mowgli's, and newer signings The Maine, Colby T. Helms, Delacey, Billy Lockett, AVIV, Elliot Lee, and joan. SHAED’s track "Trampoline" is triple platinum in the US with over 2 billion streams worldwide, 3OH!3's debut album "Want" is certified Gold with 3 platinum singles and over 15 million singles sold which includes collaborations with Katy Perry, Wiz Khalifa, Kid Cudi, Lil' Jon and Ke$ha. Marian Hill's releases including their debut album “Act One” have sold 12 million tracks making big waves with the breakthrough hit "Down" as well as successful albums from MisterWives and their gold single "Reflections," Anthony Green, Handsome Ghost, and many others. Matt Galle and Mike Marquis are well known and respected leaders in the music industry having both been recognized in Billboard’s 40 under 40 and three years (2020, 2021, 2022) in a row on Billboard’s Indie Power Players list. The team is located in NYC and PFR is distributed through Virgin Music, Label and Artist Services.

Today, the Americana Music Association announced this year's Lifetime Achievement, Trailblazer and Legacy Award honorees for its 22nd Annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Wednesday, September 20. This group of top-honor recipients includes The Avett Brothers, George Fontaine Sr., Patty Griffin, Bettye LaVette and Nickel Creek. This year's honorees will be celebrated during the prestigious ceremony held at the Ryman Auditorium, which serves as the hallmark event of the association's annual AMERICANAFEST, taking place Sept. 19-23 in Nashville, Tenn. Only a prophet could have predicted the artistic trajectory of The Avett Brothers after seeing them perform in their instrument-pounding early days, as when a No Depression writer saw them debuting at Merlefest in 2004 and called them "a trio of rompin' stompin' roots Ramones." Brothers Seth and Scott, with bandmate Bob Crawford, had a thoughtful side and sense of purpose, and in a few years, their rousing folk-rock hybrid had built a fierce fanbase on the strength of their moving songs and carefully crafted vocal harmonies. They became four-time Americana Award winners, multiple Grammy nominees and North Carolina roots music icons. While it isn’t exclusively a roots music label, no record company has released music by more stalwarts of and innovators in Americana over the past 25 years than New West Records. The company, based at various times in Athens, GA, Austin, TX, Los Angeles, and Nashville, has earned the trust of era-shaping artists such as Rodney Crowell, Kris Kristofferson, Delbert McClinton, Steve Earle, John Hiatt, Buddy and Julie Miller, and Billy Joe Shaver. Through nearly 500 releases, the label has also introduced vibrant newcomers like Lilly Hiatt, Jaime Wyatt and Nikki Lane, while sustaining important careers like that of Randall Bramblett. The person most responsible for this proliferation of art and good taste is this year’s Jack Emerson Award winner, co-founder and owner George Fontaine, Sr. In the 1990s, when the Americana chart was new and rich with established women like Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin stood out as a striking new voice for the format's future. Over the coming years, the Austin-based songwriter realized that promise, growing in stature on the strength of her rapturous voice and incisive, personal songwriting. She was named Americana Artist of the Year in 2007 and won two Grammy Awards while inspiring many other artists to interpret her work. The bonus E's in Bettye LaVette's name might as well stand for excellence and endurance. This year's Legacy Award recipient (presented with the National Museum of African American Music) is one of the finest soul singers and interpreters of American song born in the 20th century. Still, it took until the 21st for a wide musical community to embrace and celebrate her. She's had hits and was hit with setbacks, but Bettye LaVette emerged triumphantly as a singer cherished for her open ears and determination to control her own destiny. All bands grow together, but the three members of Nickel Creek literally grew up playing together, so their innovations stem in no small part from their formative musical and personal history. Over multiple albums and hundreds of exuberant shows, they continue to expose generations to how bluegrass adapts for the 21st century, challenging orthodoxy and luring thousands of new young fans into the wonders of virtuoso-level acoustic Americana. "This year's Lifetime Achievement honorees represent the diverse sounds that contribute to the American roots music canon," said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association and Foundation. "Our honorees have inspired this community individually and have collectively changed the landscape of the music industry. We are truly humbled to be in the same room with them." In addition to these Lifetime Achievement Awards, the association will also honor distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted annual awards, revealing the winners on Americana music's biggest night at the Ryman Auditorium. View this year's nominees here. For more than two decades, the prestigious ceremony has celebrated pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers while featuring unforgettable moments in musical history, including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash's last live performance together, as well as offering show-stopping appearances by k.d. lang, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, Buddy Guy, George Strait, Don Henley, the late John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, the late Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Irma Thomas, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more. Tickets to the Americana Honors & Awards are on sale now here. AMERICANAFEST Conference and Festival Wristbands are on sale here. For more information on the association and AMERICANAFEST, please visit www.americanamusic.org. Artist excerpts provided by Craig Havighurst.

Steep Canyon Rangers’ New Darrell Scott- Produced Album Morning Shift Is Driven By Thoughtful Storytelling And Fueled By Instrumental Command September 8, 2023 - Asheville, NC - With their new album Morning Shift, North Carolina’s favorite sons Steep Canyon Rangers have once again found a way to push the expanse of their sound, and skills, to the next level. Out today via Yep Roc Records, Morning Shift finds the GRAMMY-winning combo telling stories that both honor their roots and expand upon the living art of bluegrass music—all while solidifying their reputation as some of the most influential songwriters in today’s Americana scene. Produced by Darrell Scott, a distinguished songwriter and performer in his own right, Morning Shift also marks the band’s maiden studio voyage with Rangers newcomer Aaron Burdett. An award-winning singer-songwriter and student of folk tradition, Burdett’s stylings immediately blend with the band’s Appalachian and Piedmont roots, while adding his own mark to the 20+ years of developing their signature sound. Fans can stream or purchase Morning Shift today at this link and watch the lyric video for the title track here. The Steep Canyon Rangers will return to the stage tonight and tomorrow for the Mountain Song Music Festival in Brevard, North Carolina, before hitting the road with longtime collaborators Steve Martin & Martin Short this fall. Stopping at the Grand Ole Opry in December, a full list of tour dates can be found below or at steepcanyon.com/tour. For everything else Rangers, please visit steepcanyon.com. Morning Shift In The News: "The GRAMMY-winning band has it down to an art…’” - MOJO “...The Steep Canyon Rangers have curated an album of songs that showcases the band at its musical best…” - No Depression "... a colorful tapestry of musical storytelling... It’s the auditory equivalent of a cinematic epic – compelling, diverse, and richly textured.” - Staccatofy “‘Hominy Valley’ perfectly kicks off the anticipation of another excellent new album from the Steep Canyon Rangers.” - Folk Alley “If you listen to the Steep Canyon Rangers’ new album the way it’s meant to be listened to, you will find the song ‘Recommend Me’ at the very end, waiting to blow you away.” - Taste of Country “It’s another spectacular track that further proves Morning Shift could be some of their best work yet.” - Whiskey Riff on “Recommend Me” More About Morning Shift: Produced by the distinguished Darrell Scott and engineered by the legendary Dave Sinko, Morning Shift found the Rangers recording their 14th studio album in Bat Cave, North Carolina, at the Inn Bat Cave, a historical refuge settled near a long-forgotten crossroads of Southern Appalachia. This was the perfect space to feel confident in expanding upon that Carolina sound, the perfect runway to let their well-oiled machine do what it does best- craft stories from the ground up, as a unit. “It was like going to recording camp,” said Scott, “We ate together, we stayed at the Inn together the whole time, and we recorded. Going about it that way made for a very organic record. We had a great engineer with Dave Sinko, who could in essence create a studio space in a rustic, historic home.”