David Carroll and Doug Burchett with Hammertowne in July 2014 – photo by Shona Wilks Smith
Hammertowne has announced some changes to their lineup, necessitated by current health issues being faced by their bass player, Bryan Russel. As most of our readers will understand, playing the upright bass can be a strain on the upper body, and Hammertowne’s busy schedule this summer has left Bryan experiencing some severe left hand pain, coming from fatigue and overuse. He has reluctantly decided to step away from the group.
David Carroll, who leads the band, says that they are very sorry to see him go.
“Bryan’s contribution to Hammertowne cant be overstated. He was a part of 3 very successful recordings, including our most recent one, Pictures. Its so unfortunate that the issue with his hand/arm has sidelined such a enormous talent…at least for now. We wish him all the best.”
Fortunately, an old band mate was able to step in, so David and the guys will welcome Doug Burchett back on the bass. Doug was the original bassist when the group was formed in 2012, but as things started to take off for them, he ran into some scheduling conflicts that prevented him from staying beyond 2014.
But now he is happy to come back, and Carroll says that they are eager to work his vocal talents back into the repertoire.
“We are beyond blessed to be able to replace immense talent with immense talent. Doug Burchett is one of the best singers I have ever heard, and I sincerely mean that. He is such a great guy to boot, and also a Eastern Kentucky boy. We are so excited to have him back. We will start to work on some new material immediately to feature Doug’s singing.”
Here’s video of Doug singing Gone To Pieces back in 2014, one written by Brooks Attwood, which Hammertowne is considering cutting on their next project.
Doug joins Carroll on guitar and vocals, along with Chaston Carroll on mandolin, Dale Thomas on banjo, and Scott Tackett on guitar and vocals.
Hammertowne fans can look forward to seeing Burchett back with his old buddies next month. Their tour dates can be found online.
