Back with their first new music for Mountain Home Music Company since 2022’s Imaginary Lines, a collection that contained a remarkable seven charting singles, bluegrass powerhouse Unspoken Tradition highlights the distinctive voice of bassist Sav Sankaran on “Moments,” a reflection on the enduring power of memories and their touchstones.
The western North Carolina quintet creatively updates Sankaran’s original take on the song, which he first recorded some 10 years ago — auspiciously enough, at the very same Crossroads studio in Arden. And though they follow the contours of the earlier arrangement, the group — banjoist Zane McGinnis, Ty Gilpin (mandolin), fiddler Tim Gardner and Audie McGinnis (guitar) — leverage their years of playing together to create a performance with a deeply organic feel, while the latter adds an extra measure of soulfulness with a harmony vocal that masterfully complements Sankaran’s reading.
“I'm so happy to be giving ‘Moments’ a second life,” enthuses the singer. “I originally recorded this song, written by our producer, Jon Weisberger and Andy Hall of the Infamous Stringdusters, on my solo album, and in the intervening years it has grown to be one of my favorites. I think my own journey reflects the subject material — with more than a decade of hindsight, it takes on a different meaning in thinking about how fleeting time can seem, how the moments of our lives can ‘turn us all around, lift us up or knock us down.’ I'm excited for Unspoken Tradition to put our own spin on this poignant song!”
Favoring material that encompasses more than songs of lost love, nostalgia and other staple subjects of the modern bluegrass songbook, Unspoken Tradition has long been known for thoughtful songs that address a wider range of themes; with “Moments,” they burnish that reputation still further.
Listen to "Moments" HERE.
About Unspoken Tradition
Unspoken Tradition is about new, original Bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional and newgrass music, this North Carolina based quintet brings a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving and sincere.
Seven singles from their 2022 album Imaginary Lines charted in the Bluegrass Today top 20 including “California” at No. 1, “Irons in the Fire” at No. 2 and “Carolina and Tennessee” at No. 4. Their 2019 release, Myths We Tell Our Young, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and saw five top-charting radio singles, including a No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today chart with “Dark Side of the Mountain.”
Unspoken Tradition’s material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina where they call home. The band has earned a fervent following in the Southeast, selling out shows in Asheville, NC as well as the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, TN. They have also performed twice on the coveted Watson (main stage) at MerleFest. With heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and ever-growing streaming numbers, Unspoken Tradition is a fast-rising voice of a new generation of roots music artists.
