The Blue Highway boys may all be in Big Stone Gap, VA right now for their annual Blue Highway Fest, but their label, Down The Road Records, found time to release a new single this week.
Is Now The Time shows that in their 30th year, Blue Highway sounds as fresh as they did when they first hit three decades ago. Initially, they had just planned to play a limited series of dates as they all had other commitments, and Tim Stafford was just off the touring grind with Alison Krauss & Union Station, which he did not want to repeat. But the demand for them to perform became so strong they they relented, clearly the correct choice given their longevity and headlining status in bluegrass music.
It’s a song written by Beth Snapp and Wayne Taylor that deals with what experienced music pros face in their later years: how long should I continue the road life? The lyrics bring up that topic in a number of ways, making for a heartfelt examination familiar to anyone following their dream.
For Blue Highway fans, we hope the answer is no!
Taylor sings the lead here and plays bass, with bandmates Stafford on guitar, Shawn Lane on mandolin, Jason Burleson on banjo, and Gary Hultman on reso-guitar. Shawn and Tim carry the harmony vocals.
Blue Highway has recorded any number of songs now firmly ensconced within the bluegrass canon, and this one seems destined to land there just the same.
It’s a good’n. Check it out.
Is Now The Time is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct or Get It Played.
