Kindred Records has announced the signing of Adam McPeak & Mountain Thunder to the label.
The Virginia band is led by 17 year old mandolinist McPeak, the son of Mike McPeake of the legendary McPeak Brothers, who plays guitar and sings with Mountain Thunder. They have a new album, The Last Dirt Road, which Kindred plans to release later this year.
Other members of Adam’s band include Nikki Wright on fiddle, Dave Chrisley on bass, and Steve Chrisly on banjo. Mike and Nikki handle the lead vocals.
The McPeak name is magic in southwestern Virginia, and among bluegrass lovers everywhere, for the music made by four brothers from Wytheville starting in the mid-1960s. By the ’70s they were recording, with a number of songs that resonated with fans of country and bluegrass, partly through appearances on the Mel and Susan television show, with Mel Tillis and Susan Anton in 1978.
Adam’s dad Mike was the youngest of the brothers, and was the lead vocalist during their period of greatest popularity. His older brothers were Udell, Dewey, and Larry, with Udell leaving before the band started recording actively.
The new Adam McPeak & Mountain Thunder album will include 10 tracks, five of them written by Adam’s uncle, Larry McPeak. Audio samples will be available soon online.
