High Road is an interesting group, with an approach that makes them a bit difficult to pigeonhole. Founded in 2013 by pianist and vocalist Sarah Davison as a vehicle for her country/Gospel songs and sound, she has picked up a couple of grassers for the band along the way, pushing the vibe in that direction. So for 2022, they have a new bluegrass centered project, with a new single on offer this month.
Kristen Bearfield plays mandolin, guitar, and banjo with the band, and shares in the vocals, with award-winning fiddler, Ivy Phillips, as their newest member. Sarah and Kinsey Rose were surrounded by bluegrass and traditional music all their lives, making the upcoming release of The Bluegrass Sessions album a natural for High Road.
Kristen tells us that the idea of recutting some of their previous releases bluegrass style has been coming for some time, and that choosing Nothing At All, from their 2021 Grammy-nominated self-titled album, as the first single was an obvious decision.
“The Bluegrass Sessions release is something that we have wanted to do as a band for a while. Leaning into our backgrounds in bluegrass made this an easy choice for us! Nothing At All is one of our favorites to play live, and we are so excited to be sharing this release!”
Sarah agreed, saying that the song’s genesis came in an acoustic setting to begin with.
“When we wrote this song, we actually were jamming on a mountain dulcimer and got the hook as we played. It was a lot of fun to write something so old timey sounding, and we have a blast playing it live! Bluegrass is something all of us grew up playing and singing, so recording bluegrass cuts of our songs was an idea we all really loved.”
Have a listen…
The new bluegrass version of Nothing At All by High Road is available now on New Day Records from popular download and streaming services online.
Expect to hear more about The Bluegrass Sessions project in the near future.
Emily Ann Roberts has recently joined the group, stepping in for Kinsey Rose.
