Kenny & Amanda Smith have lifted the veil on their new lineup, bringing a trio of talented youngsters into the fold.
All three have a brothers-in-bluegrass side of their story. Siblings Corey and Owen Piatt are on mandolin and banjo respectively, and new bass player Austin Ward is the older brother of Chris Ward, currently touring on fiddle with Sierra Hull.
The Piatts have been living in Tennessee, and Austin has just moved to the Nashville area from California where he grew up. Owen had been performing of late with Blue Moon Rising.
Kenny says that they had their first two shows with the new band over the weekend, and that everything went swimmingly.
“Amanda and I are excited about the new sound, and our fans were in full support this past weekend as we took the stage in Ohio and Maryland. I was overwhelmed a couple of times on stage from the energy of the band and the audience approval.
It’s hard to put into words when you have a dream of a certain sound for your music and it comes true in the matter of minutes. It’s simply the right people at the right time.”
Ken Roberts, who promoted their show for the Cumberland Jaycees, was enthusiastic as well.
“We were pleased to host the new Kenny & Amanda Smith Band this Saturday. The new band members fit perfectly and performed all of the songs flawlessly. They seem to pick right up on Kenny and Amanda’s driving sound.
I was surprised to see how well the new band members played off the songs and added their own touches as if they had been playing them for years. The crowd loved them.”
Kenny also mentioned that he is hoping to start work on a new band album this coming Spring. They’ve been collecting material since their last record in 2008, Live and Learn, and since moving to Tennessee, he’s been writing a lot as well.
“I’ve been writing with both Jon Weisberger and John Pennell, and feel sure that a couple of those will end up on this next release.”
You’ll be able to check out the new version of the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band on December 3, when they’ll share the bill with IIIrd Tyme Out on the WDVX Blue Plate Special at noon (EST).
