Coming up on their 25th anniversary as a band, Colorado jam-grass pioneers Yonder Mountain String Band continue to innovate and evolve, and on February 25th, 2022, will unveil Get Yourself Outside—their first studio album with new member, mandolinist Nick Piccininni. “Nick is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist. He’s also a great singer with a magnetic stage presence,” says YMSB guitarist and co-founder Adam Aijala. “And he’s in such a creative space right now, something that has brought a whole new vibe and dynamic to the band. But, at the same time, it’s such a natural fit, where he hits that sweet spot of the Yonder Mountain sound we’ve come to be known for.” Piccininni joins Aijala, fellow founding members, bassist Ben Kaufmann and banjoist Dave Johnston, and fiddler Allie Kral who joined the band in 2015 for the band’s inspired and energized post-pandemic lineup debut. Today, Relix premiered the first single from Get Yourself Outside, the hard-charging “Into The Fire." Fans can hear “Into The Fire” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Get Yourself Outside before its release right here.
Recorded during the shutdown at Cinder Sound Studio (Gunbarrel, Colorado) and co-produced with engineer John McVey, Get Yourself Outside (Frog Pad Records) is a musical odyssey of string instruments and sonic textures. “We want the listener to get outside of your own head, get outside the box or container that you’ve created around yourself—look outside and see what else is out there,” says Kaufmann. What started out as back-and-forth online interactions between the band members soon shifted into Yonder Mountain entering Cinder Sound after several months apart—this genuine, intrinsic urge within each musician to capture the unique chemistry and magic of playing live in the studio. “We knew we had to take greater advantage of our time off the road. So, we started to collaborate and realized we had all of these songs,” Kaufmann says. “It was kind of a trick to figure out how to get together and record safely. But, we’re glad that we did and what came from it.”
“Some of the song ideas were older. But, a lot of the ideas happened during the pandemic,” Aijala adds. “It was interesting because Nick had a bunch of ideas that emerged from the pandemic and he’s heavily featured on the record.” There’s the usual foot-stomping jingles and sorrowful ballads that reside at the core of the Yonder Mountain signature tone. But, there’s also a deep, honest sense of renewal and rejuvenation running through the heart of the record. “This album was a learning experience for the band, from bringing Nick in, to navigating the shutdown as a nationally touring band to working on new material,” Kaufmann says. “There’s a blessing to this life to be able to play music for a living, and Get Yourself Outside is a testament to that, which is why it’s been such a joy to finally play these songs live.”
Regardless of the free-flowing, ever-evolving ebb and flow of its sound and journey, Yonder Mountain still stands atop the ancient rock foundation of the “high, lonesome sound” that is bluegrass music. “For me, it was the accessibility and the ease of bluegrass,” Aijala says. “I really liked that the music could achieve this really high energy, and it was just acoustic instruments, your voice, and a microphone—it’s a beautiful thing.”
Get Yourself Outside Tracklist:
Beside Myself
I Just Can’t
Small House
If Only
Up This Hill
No Leg Left
Out Of The Pan
Into The Fire
Broken Records
Change Of Heart
Suburban Girl
In addition to the upcoming album announcement, YMSB just dropped a long list of February and March tour dates beginning with their official album release show at Denver’s newly-opened and incredibly popular Meow Wolf Convergence Station where concert-goers will experience a one-of-a-kind immersive music and art experience, before heading down to Florida, through the Southeast, and across to Texas. A full list of dates is below and ticket information can be found at yondermountain.com/tour.
Catch Yonder Mountain String Band On Tour:
1/18 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Commonwealth Room
1/19 - Jackson, WY - Center for the Arts
1/20 - Great Falls, MT - The Newberry
1/21 - Billings, MT - The Pub Station
1/22 - Bozeman, MT - The Elm
1/23 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma
1/25 - Whitefish, MT - The Great Northern Bar & Grill
1/27 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
1/28 - Seattle WA - Neptune Theatre
1/29 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
1/30 - Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo House Of Music
2/1 - Arcata, CA - Arcata Theatre
2/2 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
2/3 - Nevada City, CA - Miners Foundry Cultural Center
2/4 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
2/5 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
2/6 - Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theater
2/24 - Denver, CO - Meow Wolf Convergence Station - official album release show
2/26 - Steamboat, CO - Winter Wondergrass
2/27 - Steamboat, CO - Winter Wondergrass
3/11 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
3/12 - Immokalee, FL - Southland Bluegrass and Wilderness Festival
3/13 - Key West, FL - Parade Grounds at Fort East Martello
3/15 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
3/16 - Savannah, GA - Victory North
3/17 - Live Oak, FL - Suwannee Spring Reunion
3/18 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
3/19 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Bluegrass Festival
3/20 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
3/23 - Fayetteville, AR - George’s Majestic Lounge
3/24 - Austin, TX - Scoot Inn
3/25 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
3/26 - Dallas, TX - The Studio at the Factory
4/2 - New Orleans, LA - venue TBA
4/28 - Poughkeepsie, NY - venue TBA
4/29 - Baltimore, MD - venue TBA
5/6 - Black, MT - venue TBA
5/7 - Cincinnati, OH - venue TBA
5/8 - Cincinnati, OH - venue TBA
