The newest iteration of Mountain Heart got to play the Grand Ole Opry this past weekend, and used the occasion to capture their song, Have You Heard About The Old Hometown, on video backstage. Their new album, Blue Skies, includes sounds with a wide variety of influences, but this one is pure bluegrass, with a contemporary style.
It tells a story well familiar in our genre, about coming back home after being away working in the big city, and seeing that things just don’t look the same since you’d left.
Mountain Heart lead vocalist John Shilling wrote this one about his home town in Virginia.
“Have You Heard About The Old Hometown is one I wrote about where I grew up. I basically jotted down what I saw changing while driving through Martinsville and Collinsville one Christmas. Those lines and a conversation with some childhood friends became this song.”
Josh tells us that their Opry set was a huge success for them.
“This was the first time the new band had played the Grand Ole Opry, and after performing several songs off the new record, Blue Skies, we closed with our version of Lee Highway Blues, which landed a standing ovation. The wings of the Opry stage were full of pickers, friends, music industry folks, and unbelievable artists like Carrie Underwood! It was a special night indeed.
We also played Blue Skies, The Bad Grounds, and Miss Me When I’m Gone at the Opry. All of these songs are featured on the new Mountain Heart record.”
Mountain Heart is Josh on guitar, keys, and vocals, with Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and bass, Seth Taylor on guitar and banjo, Jeff Partin on reso-guitar and bass, and Molly Cherryholmes on fiddle.
Check them out online.
