Mountain Home Music has a new single for The Grascals, in which we get our first recorded taste of the recently revitalized group. The band has welcomed founding member Jamie Johnson back following a period of several years while Johnson did battle with a difficult foe – addiction and depression.
This latest release is one Jamie wrote with fellow bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson, who has likewise fought against those same obstacles in his personal and professional life. Titled I Go, the song describes moving forward when you aren’t really sure where you are going, and the darkness of knowing you’re on the wrong path without a clear vision of how to get back on track.
Jamie didn’t hold back expressing how much I Go means to him.
“I sat down at the dinner table with one of my best friends, Darren Nicholson (I work at a recovery treatment center in Asheville, NC often, and I stay with Darren and his wife while in town), back in February of this year with the intention of writing our first song together, and I Go is the result of that writing session.
The song comes from a previous vantage point and paints a picture of a darker time in both of our lives. Since Darren and I are now both in recovery together, we bounced some ideas off of each other from our personal journeys…combined with a little fiction that was easy to create from our past intoxicated minds. I feel like the story we came up with is one of my favorite songs I’ve written to date, and I’m really glad that it was with Darren.
I Go is a catchy melodic, up-tempo tune with an edgy, dark true-life subject that many choose to avoid. However, we decided to face it head on and The Grascals took it and made it their own – OUR own. I am so excited to be back in this band and creating music with my friends again, and I’m thankful that we (The Grascals) are the ones telling this story.”
Johnson is supported by fellow Grascals founders Terry Smith on bass and Danny Roberts on mandolin, along with bandmates Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, John Bryan on guitar, and new fiddler Jamie Harper.
Have a listen…
I Go from The Grascals is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.
