A Whole Lotta Lonesome from Cumberland Gap Connection is set for a January 20 release on Kindred Records. The album features 12 new cuts, primarily written by members of the band.
Guitarist and lead vocalist Mike Bentley contributes four songs, bass man Bryan Russell one, and banjo picker Rod Smith has a new instrumental. There is also a song each from Grasstowne’s Steve Gulley and Blue Moon Rising’s Chris West, and the title track comes from Tim Stafford, Bobby Starnes and Terry Herd.
Herd, who also host the popular syndicated radio program, Into The Blue, shared a few words about A Whole Lotta Lonesome.
“I love writing with Tim and Bobby. Not only because they’re both terrific writers, but we never fail to have a lot of fun. This was the same session we also wrote Black Lung Blues, which Grasstowne cut. Tim and I were comparing titles from our idea books and we both had similar titles on a lonesome theme. He said he liked mine better, so I gave him $5 bucks and we went with it.
I think Cumberland Gap Connection did a great job with the song. It’s an honor to have someone like your work enough to record it, let alone use it as the title cut. I think they wear it well and I hope it hits number one for them.”
A Whole Lotta Lonesome: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/whole_lotta_lonesome.mp3]
Joining Bentley, Russell and Smith is Clint Hurd on mandolin, with guest appearances from Steve and Debbie Gulley on harmony vocals, Justin Moses on fiddle and resonator guitar, and Alan Bibey on mandolin.
Here are samples from a couple of other tracks…
Gonna Settle Down: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/gonna_settle_down.mp3]
Waiting At The Harbor: [http://traffic.libsyn.com/thegrasscast/waitin_at_the_harbor.mp3]
Radio programmers can download tracks from the new CD at Airplay Direct.
