Monroeville is half the band it used to be. Over the past three years they’ve gone from a full, six-piece bluegrass outfit to an acoustic/country power-trio with a grassy edge. Their focus changed gradually since the band first hit in the late summer of 2010, and now a new single, with a pair of accompanying videos, is serving to announce their new look and sound.
Matt Munsey is the sole founding member remaining, playing mandolin and guitar, with Rachel Mayanovic on fiddle and Carl White on bass. All three sing, and help write and arrange the material.
They introduced the single, Prisoner Of War, at a special event on July 4 in Gatlinburg, TN. It was written by the members of the group, along with former Monroevillian, Eli Johnston, telling a somber story of a soldier fighting in a foreign war.
You can hear snippets from an acoustic version of the song in this promotional video, created to introduce the members of the trio, and their sound, to the music world.
The track going out to radio is a more rocking version, with drums. Munsey tells us that while the band proper is only the three of them, Monroeville picks up utility players as needed for live shows, in either a bluegrass or country format.
But never think that they are leaving bluegrass behind. This second new video shows them picking another band original, Gallarojo, live as a three piece.
Monroeville will be at Grey Fox in New York later this month, and performs regularly at the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery in Gatlinburg.
You can keep up with all their comings and goings online.
