For her first new single in 10 years, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and flatpicking guitarist Rebecca Frazier recruited some heavy hitters, starting with co-writers Jon Weisberger and Bob Minner, who helped pen “Make Hay While the Moon Shines.” Then she stepped into the studio with legends Béla Fleck (banjo), Sam Bush (mandolin), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Barry Bales (bass), Josh Swift (dobro) and Shelby Means (harmony vocals). The lively song is being released today (March 25) on Compass Records.
Inspired by an autumn full-moon picking party, the song riffs off the phrase, “make hay while the sun shines,” a call for getting work done during daylight. But when the moon rises, it’s time to savor the moment and cut loose. “Make Hay While the Moon Shines” evokes that moonlit anticipation and the high-spirited, light-hearted mirth — and shenanigans — that occur on a farm as each workday draws to a close.
“I had a blast getting together with Jon and Bob to write this song,” Frazier says. “With three bluegrass musicians in a room, things can get a little crazy and silly — we couldn’t stop laughing as we were throwing in double-entendres and exploring creative ideas. I adore the bluesy and fun melody we came up with, and I love the spirit of yodeling through the hook!”
Producer Bill Wolf (Tony Rice, Grateful Dead, Peter Rowan) suggested reaching out to Fleck, Bush, Duncan, Bales and Swift. “Bill kept it lighthearted and fun,” Frazier says. “These guys read the mood and nailed it right away. When Bill asked them to build the spirit of the barn scene with their climactic improvisation, they provided that energy and then some! I love the way this song came together, from start to finish.”
A bluegrass luminary herself, Frazier gained notoriety as the first woman to grace the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. In 2018, she also became the first woman to earn a Guitar Performer of the Year nomination from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America, an honor she received again in 2019. Frazier is widely known for her work with Colorado-based outfit Hit & Run, the only band to score the bluegrass-world trifecta of winning Rockygrass, Telluride and SPBGMA festival band competitions.
More information: rebeccafrazier.com
