Originally intended to only be a side project, the Songs From The Road Band has not only persisted, but now has seven studio albums to their credit. The latest release, Just Hanging On, is out now on Lucks Dumpy Toad Records and contains ten new songs composed by bassist Charles Humphrey III together with a variety of co-writers, plus an almost ten-minute jamgrass journey through the Allman Brothers’ Dreams.
Charles founded the band while still a member of the Steep Canyon Rangers. Since leaving that group in 2017 he’s made the “Road Band” his full-time occupation. He is joined by Mark Schimick on mandolin and most of the lead vocals, Sam Wharton on guitar, Gabe Epstein on banjo, and James Schlender on fiddle.
The band is based in Asheville, North Carolina but spends a lot of time on the road, as their name suggests. And fittingly, the album is filled with songs about traveling to or from somewhere or someone. Get Me Where I’m Going, Halfway Home, Road Back to You, Where the Road Goes, Last Chance in Idaho, and the title track all explore some aspect of the nomadic life.
The band plays hard with a relentless drive on almost every song. Even the languid Just Hanging On manages to sound energetic, with banjo arpeggios and mandolin chops providing an insistent texture.
An exception is the pleasantly bouncy Think About it Twice, co-written by Charles with Thomm Jutz and Nick Dauphinais, and delivered in a classic country style. The hit single Road Back to You has a breezy feel but with more of a progressive arrangement.
The band has a jamgrass side, but aside from Dreams, the songs on this album avoid extended instrumental solos and don’t stray that far from a modern bluegrass sound. And Where Lonely Lives, a co-write with Darren Nicholson, is a straight-ahead bluegrass song that would be at home in any traditional band’s repertoire.
The album was recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville by Julian Dreyer and Charlie Chamberlain. The band says, “This record captures who we are—the road, the stories, the struggle, and the love of what we do. We’re proud of every moment on it, and grateful to have made it at home in Asheville with people who understand this music.”
With their love of the road and loyalty to their hometown, the Songs From The Road Band prove they are doing a lot more than just hanging on.
