The 2022 International Bluegrass Association's "New Artist Of The Year" Rick Faris, releases his third album on Dark Shadow Recording, Uncommon Sky.
Faris offers: "I've always owned a bit of the songs I've written, but these particular stories came to me in the last couple of years and I felt compelled to tell them. Gathered from friends or personal experience of pain and joy, there's lots of truth on this project. I'm thankful to my cowriters Rick Lang and Evan Dickerson for joining me on this journey.
The album is about celebrating the Uncommon Skies in our lives. Every sunrise brings unique challenges and opportunities and I'm grateful for each one.
Having Del McCoury and Jerry Douglas on my album is a particular thrill and I'm blown away that they shared their talents. I feel like I continue to refine my sound and my songwriting voice, and Uncommon Sky is evidence of that."
Producer Stephen Mougin shares: "Clearly showing his growth as an artist, songwriter and performer, Uncommon Sky is the third project we’ve worked on together. Supported by a cracker-jack band and some powerful guests, he continues to push his own musicality. I’m proud to see Rick carving his own special place in the Bluegrass universe."
Faris wrote or co-wrote every track on the album, except for a cover of the Huey Lewis mega hit "The Power Of Love", released as a single in February this year.
The album features Rick (Lead Vocal, Harmony Vocal, Guitar) along with Laura Orshaw (Fiddle), Harry Clark and Ronnie McCoury (Mandolin), Zak McLamb (Bass), Jerry Douglas (resonator guitar), Russ Carson and Luke Munday (banjo) and vocalists Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Dani Flowers, Stephen Mougin, Eddie Faris, and Ben James. As with all DSR releases, Uncommon Sky was produced, engineered, and mixed by Mougin.
TRACK LISTING:
01 Don’t Hold Back
02 The One That Got Away
03 The Power Of Love
04 Please Don’t Say Goodbye
05 Too Lonely, Way Too Long
06 Love Sweet Love
07 Hellfire Club
08 Misery-Go-Round
09 Kansas Cornfields
10 You Can’t Slow The River Down
11 Topeka Twister
12 I’m Not Waiting ‘Round
ABOUT RICK FARIS:
Faris has been playing Bluegrass music since he could talk. He got his first break when the Bluegrass stalwart, Greg Cahill, called and asked him to audition for Special Consensus. The job was to be transformative for Faris because Greg hired him to play mandolin rather than the guitar he had been honing since he was a child. With 5 weeks to learn the mandolin and win the audition, Rick Faris stepped into the next stage of his career. After 6 years, 1 Grammy-Nomination and 2 IBMA Awards he switched back home to guitar and the band picked up another 3 IBMA Awards and a 2nd Grammy Nomination. Rick spent a total of 11 years with the globetrotting Special Consensus. Under Greg Cahill, he learned the meaning of professionalism and giving back to the Bluegrass community.
Rick signed a deal as a solo artist with Dark Shadow Recording in 2018 and released his debut album Breaking In Lonesome in 2019. With watertight harmony singers and mind-blowing pickers, Rick set out to show the world what his brand of Bluegrass sounds like. His second album, The Next Mountain (2021) garnered industry-wide attention with intense chart action and both SPBGMA and IBMA "Song of the Year" nominations as well as a "New Artist of the Year" win at IBMA 2022.
For more information about Rick Faris, please visit: www.rickfaris.com
