Today, Western North Carolina-based Steep Canyon Rangers share “Honey On My Tongue,” the third track revealed from Arm In Arm out October 16 on Yep Roc Records.
Cradled by a warm acoustic guitar and resonant banjo and rounded off with gentle fiddle turns, “Honey On My Tongue” is a gorgeous tribute to the catch-22 of parenthood. “Being a parent makes you vulnerable,” says Graham Sharp, who wrote the song and has lead vocals. “It’s hard to understand that the only way your kids can make it in the world is without you.”
This week, the band will play three sold-out drive-in concerts in North Carolina; a list of dates is below. From their cars, fans will watch Steep Canyon Rangers perform from a state-of-the-art mobile stage truck equipped with a 16-foot LED screen. Audio will be transmitted via radio frequency directly to cars. WNCW will live stream the show on August 28.
For Arm In Arm, the GRAMMY award-winning band recorded over several days at the iconic Southern Ground Studios in Nashville, which marked the first time the band recorded outside NC. Featuring 11 original compositions, Arm in Arm was produced by the band with Brandon Bell (Zac Brown, John Prine) and sees the band expanding their sound by paying homage to their early influences and the bluegrass tradition for which they’re known.
Previously released tracks from Arm In Arm include “In The Next Life,” and the video for “Every River,” which received praise from Rolling Stone Country and Asheville Citizen-Times.
The album follows two 2019 releases that both debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart: North Carolina Songbook, an eight-song live album recorded at Merlefest featuring reinterpretations of songs from cross-generational NC icons; and Be Still Moses, an 11-song collaboration between the band and the Asheville Symphony, which featured a collaboration with Boyz II Men and the Asheville Symphony on the title track.
Over a 20-year career, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductees have released 12 solo albums and three collaborative albums with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. The Steep Canyon Rangers are Woody Platt, Graham Sharp, Mike Guggino, Nicky Sanders, Mike Ashworth, Barrett Smith.
Steep Canyon Rangers Drive-In Tour
August 27 – Brevard Music Center – Brevard, NC
August 28 – The Riveter – Asheville, NC
August 29 – Old Avondale Mill Site – Burnsville, NC
