Balsam Range

They say the only thing constant is change, and after some 15 years of music making with their original lineup, change finally came last year for western North Carolina’s Balsam Range. Now, with the release of Kinetic Tone, their 10th collection for Mountain Home Music Company, the group puts an exclamation point on their embrace of the new as they welcome mandolin virtuoso Alan Bibey to the award-winning quintet.

They say the only thing constant is change, and after some 15 years of music making with their original lineup, change finally came last year for western North Carolina’s Balsam Range. Now, with the upcoming release of Kinetic Tone, their 10th collection for Mountain Home Music Company, the group puts an exclamation point on their embrace of the new as they welcome mandolin virtuoso Alan Bibey to the award-winning quintet.

After the thoughtful introspection of their last single, “What The Years Do,” bluegrass powerhouses Balsam Range turn the page with “Snake Charmer,” an up-tempo romp that highlights the quintet’s whimsical side.

After spending two weeks at the top of Bluegrass Today's weekly chart, Balsam Range's latest single, "What The Years Do," has reached No. 1 on the monthly chart, too.

On “What The Years Do,” the band's first new single in over a year, the quintet not only offered a song as powerfully moving as any they’ve done, they also introduced acclaimed mandolinist Alan Bibey as the first new member of the group since it was founded over 15 years ago.

It all begins with a song. It’s a motto that Balsam Range has adopted and carried throughout their nearly 15-year career. Few artists can deliver songs that move people, and connect to audiences like this quintet from the mountains of North Carolina. With their newest album, Moxie and Mettle, Balsam Range released a series of singles that preceded the full album. The tremendous result was a coveted spot at the top of the Bluegrass Today charts for each of them.

Mountain Home Music Company’s Darren Nicholson is a man on a mission — and if you think, based on his membership in award-winning bluegrass quintet Balsam Range, that you know what it is, his new EP is going to come as a mighty big surprise.

Two-time International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year Balsam Range has released an official music video for "Highway Side," the latest single from their new album, Moxie and Mettle.

Two-time International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year Balsam Range and Mountain Home Music Company and Organic Records' Bluegrass at the Crossroads series took home awards at last night's IBMA Awards at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina, with Balsam Range's "Richest Man" being named Song of the Year and Bluegrass at the Crossroads' "Ground Speed" winning Instrumental Recording of the Year.

Even with all the awards and the #1 hits throughout more than a decade of steady success, for two-time International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year Balsam Range what matters most is still a song, a message, a distinctive sound and a compelling performance. And though the western North Carolina quintet is known as a bluegrass band par excellence, they’ve always escaped easy categorization; just when you think you’ve got them pegged, they’ll surprise you once again.

Even with a long list of accolades to their name, Western North Carolina’s Balsam Range still knows it's all about the song. As one of the quintet’s fastest rising singles ever, “Rivers, Rains and Runaway Trains,” which is No.

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