When we spoke recently with Tim Shelton about the dissolution of NewFound Road, he indicated that he simply had too many irons in the fire to spend time trying to arrange NFR reunion shows. One of those irons he mentioned was a new side project group called Sailor Street, which also includes Tim Stafford from Blue Highway, and Heidi and Ryan Greer.
Given Tim’s commitments with his band, and Heidi and Ryan’s touring schedule, it’s not likely that Sailor Street will be able to perform very often, but they are looking to record together, and may book a few shows when their primary calendars are open. Stafford told us that it is more of a “friends who enjoy singing together” sort of thing, that came out of an impromptu jam.
Stafford also writes a lot of material that may not be suitable for Blue Highway, and could record those songs with this new outfit. The Greers are fine songwriters as well who will surely contribute.
But the biggest impact this group will have is with their voices. Tim Shelton and Heidi Greer are among the most evocative vocalists in bluegrass, both widely recognized as unique stylists, and Tim Stafford possesses his own distinctive singing style which goes underused in Blue Highway. Together they produce a subtle, intensely listenable sound.
At a recent rehearsal, Sailor Street recorded a number of songs from their growing repertoire, and put them together in this promo video. Anyone who enjoys quality acoustic music will find much to savor here.
More information on this new endeavor can be found on Facebook.
