Well… the news is out!
The oft-rumored bluegrass album from country star Sturgill Simpson is set for release later this week. Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1 – The Butcher Shoppe Sessions will hit on Friday (October 16), featuring 20 songs from Simpson’s deep catalog, played bluegrass style with a band of Nashville’s top super pickers.
He had teased the fact that such a project would be forthcoming during an Opry appearance over the summer, but his management folks had been extremely tight-lipped since then. The plan had been to do a surprise announcement tomorrow with an album release on Friday. But a fan in Germany noticed the album listed for pre-sale on a streaming site, and spilled the beans.
Included will be 20 grassy covers taken either from his recent recordings as a solo artist, or from his days as a member of the band Sunday Valley in the early aughts.
Supporting Simpson are Scott Vestal on banjo, Sierra Hull on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Mike Bub on bass, and Tim O’Brien, and Mark Howard on guitar. Sturgill provides lead vocals and plays guitar, with harmony vocals from Sierra, Tim, and Miles Miller who also adds percussion.
The track listing includes:
All Around You
All the Pretty Colors
Breakers Roar
I Don’t Mind
I Wonder
Just Let Go
Life Ain’t Fair
A Little Light
Life of Sin
Long White Line
Living the Dream
Old King Coal
Railroad of Sin
Sitting Here Without You
Sometimes Wine
The Storm
Time After All
Turtles All the Way Down
Voices
Water in a Well
We had spoken recently with the publicist for Cuttin’ Grass, and are hopeful for a chance soon to speak with Sturgill about his new record, and his relationship with bluegrass music.
Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1 – The Butcher Shoppe Sessions will be released on High Top Mountain Records, distributed by Thirty Tigers. We have not been able to find any pre-order links.
I smell a hit!
