Kenny & Amanda Smith – photo © Madelenn Tabor
Married couples performing in bluegrass aren’t as rare as they once were, but there are none that deliver high caliber music with the drive and precision of Kenny & Amanda Smith.
This pair met cute when Kenny was playing guitar with Lonesome River Band in the mid-1990s. Amanda left him a tape of her singing, and the two pledged to write together sometime. Well, we all know where that leads, and the pair was soon married. Now they’ve been recording and touring together for a quarter century, with nine superb albums to their credit.
Now there is a new single, Million Lonely Days, which was written by West Virginia banjo player Richard Hefner, based on an old poem he had found.
Amanda says that part of what she loves about this song is that it came out of where she is from in the Mountain State.
“This song is about moving far away from where you grew up. No ma/er where you end up you always think of this special place. The particular place in this song is the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia.”
The Smiths give it their signature sound, with Kenny’s smooth and intricate rhythm guitar out front, and Amanda’s captivating vocals on top. Support comes from Calib Smith on banjo, Cory Piatt on mandolin, and Kyle Perkins on bass. Kenny and Calib add harmony vocals.
It’s a good’n. Check it out.
Million Lonely Days is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers are invited to contact Kenny and Amanda to obtain an airplay copy.
