You’ve no doubt heard the saying, popularized by author Thomas Wolfe, “you can’t go home again.” There are an endless number of dissections about what that really means, but the gist is that nostalgia has colored memories enough that the home you remember wasn’t exactly like that. So it was with some curiosity I listened […]
Shawn’s Favorite Albums of 2023
2023 was a good year for new records. It seemed like themes and topics were no longer dominated by pandemic-induced experiences, and writers felt free to explore the entirety of their experience again. There was a good mix of new and old, both in terms of songs and artists. There’s the usual caveat that what […]
Steep Canyon Rangers – Morning Shift
The sun was in my eyes. Or maybe more appropriately, the banjo was in my ear. Like many people I’m sure, my first exposure to North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers was the first record they did with Steve Martin. It established them in my mind as a bluegrass band, and then they proceeded to build […]
Graham Sharp – Truer Picture
I know better, but I still do it. I develop a presumption about a musician’s style based on their performance with a specific band. Then they join a different group, or step out on their own, and it’s like that scene in Wizard Of Oz where the world goes from black and white to color. […]
Steep Canyon Rangers’ Graham Sharp on a Memorable First Gig and the Paradox of Making Money
Graham Sharp of Steep Canyon Rangers reflects on making the jump from an RV to a tour bus (and strategies for stocking it) and getting paid in beer and chili cheese fries at their first gig.
Steep Canyon Rangers – Out In the Open
One of the more anticipated albums recently around the Twangville offices is the new one from Steep Canyon Rangers.  Out In the Open finally hit our hard drives a couple of weeks ago andI got a chance to ask banjo player and lead vocalist Graham Sharp a few questions about the record.  What really came through […]