North Side Gal drops for Russell Moore with AKUS

Down The Road Records has released another single from Arcadia, the new album for Alison Krauss & Union Station.

North Side Gal is perhaps the most fun track on the record, featuring Russell Moore, who has joined AKUS for this project and the 2025 tour in support. It’s a swingy, bluesy take on the JD McPherson rocker from 2010. While JD gave it a tight-throated blues vibe, Russell delivers it with his trademark smooooth.

Everyone gets in the spirit, with Jerry Douglas on reso-guitar, Ron Block bending the banjo strings, Russell on guitar, Barry Bales on bass, and Alison Krauss and Stuart Duncan twinning fiddles. the four-part, all-male harmony vocals are a nice shift from the typical AKUS sound.

It’s a terrific track, and it goes over like gangbusters in their live show, which runs through September all across the US. Krauss is in the process of giving Russell Moore the star treatment he has long deserved, and every bluegrass lover should see it on stage.

Have a listen.

North Side Gal, and the full Arcadia album, are available wherever music is streamed or downloaded online, and to radio programmers via Get It Played. LPs and audio CDs can be purchased from Down The Road Records, or directly from AKUS online.

Share this:

About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.