New England grassers Rock Hearts have released a new single today the second from their upcoming Starry Southern Nights album.
And it’s a gutsy move, a remake of an Osborne Brothers classic, Don’t Let Smokey Mountain Smoke Get In Your Eyes. But the guys pull off a tasty version of their own on this Cecil A. Null song from 1976.
Guitarist Alex MacLeod says that all the guys were on board when banjo picker Joe Deetz suggested it for the record.
“This was a song that resonated with the entire band when Joey brought it up at practice one night. For me personally, this tune is an example of the foundational bluegrass sound that my folks introduced me to when I was little. Call it a ‘seed’ that upon falling on fertile ground, sprouted into my love and passion for this music. When we first started playing it, we were all ‘brought back forty or more years,’ and we really wanted to pay homage to the Osborne Brothers who were very influential in all of our bluegrass journeys.”
See what you think…
Rock Hearts has been playing together for seven years in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island region, and are just now producing their first recording. All are experienced bluegrass pros, with time spent alongside such veterans as Joe Val, Stacy Phillips, Chasing Blue, and others. In addition to Alex and Joe, the band consists of Billy Thibodeau on mandolin, Danny Musher on fiddle, and Rick Brodsky on bass.
Their single cut of Don’t Let Smokey Mountain Smoke Get In Your Eyes is available now from popular download and streaming site. Radio hosts can get a copy via AirPlay Direct.
