Announcing the premiere of The Railsplitters’ spankin’ new video, “Lessons I’ve Learned,” The band’s Lauren Stovall says of the song, "I recorded the melody on my iPhone about a year before I wrote the song, not knowing if it would ever turn into anything. As I was flipping through the old recordings one snowy night, I realized that I had the perfect story to go along with the melody. The lyrics were inspired by one Miss. Lena Dunham whom had just released her memoir, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned". The band heard it just after it was finished and 3 hours later performed it in Steamboat Springs, CO. It was a hit."
The unconventional Boulder bluegrass quintet spent the better of the past year in support of their 2015 album, The Faster It Goes. The celebrated record that inspired Exclaim! to boast, "It's easy to see why this band have gotten so much attention, and this impressive sophomore album is an indication that they've got staying power, too," took cues not only from palpable luminaries of bluegrass and new country, but the ‘Splitters also idiosyncratically set a mandate to allow diffusion from other corners of the musical spectrum. Think, how does the influence of Gorillaz and Thievery Corporation ease its way into the output of the group that took first place in Rockygrass’ Best New Band Competition? Apparently, very easily.
The Railsplitters’ secret weapon is two-fold: first, the innovative imagination of banjo player Dusty Rider’s songwriting, who writes with the full band in mind, imagining entire songs in his head before they’re even heard it out loud. Second, Stovall’s powerfully distinct vocals of whose voice is as clean as Emmylou, as cutting as Allison Krauss, and carrying some of the attitude of Dolly herself. New color is brought on by the band’s newest member, Joe D'Esposito, whose New England-influenced fiddling adds new directions to the band’s sound. With masterfully executed mandolin and banjo by Peter Sharpe and Rider, well supported by upright bassist Leslie Ziegler’s innovative style.
The Railsplitters are set to perform on December 30 at the Boulder Theater, opening for Yonder Mountain String Band. The two groups will continue to share the stage in early 2017, with a number of bills confirmed for January and February (see dates below).
TOUR DATES:
Dec 30 Fri Boulder Theatre Boulder, CO
Jan 15 Sun Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, IA
Jan 17 Tues Ed's No Name Bar Winona, MN
Jan 18 Wed Elbo Room Chicago, IL
Jan 19 Thu Bluebird Nightclub Bloomington, IN
Jan 20 Fri Pageant St Louis, MO
Jan 21 Sat Orpheum Theater Madison, WI**
Jan 22 Sun Blue Moose Iowa City, IA**
Jan 25 Wed State Theatre State College, PA**
Jan 26 Thu Cat's Cradle Carrboro, NC**
Jan 27 Fri Music Farm Charleston, SC**
Jan 28 Sat Music Farm Columbia, SC**
Jan 29 Sun 3rd and Lindsley Nashville, TN
Feb 1 Wed Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center Lexington, KY**
Feb 2 Thu Madison Theater Covington, KY**
Feb 3 Fri THE ORANGE PEEL Asheville, NC**
Feb 4 Sat THE ORANGE PEEL Asheville, NC**
**supporting Yonder Mountain String Band
