The Brothers Young is a hot young bluegrass band out of Roanoke, Virginia, whose passion is to keep the music of the first generation bluegrass greats alive with the energy of a new generation. They play over 200 gigs a year and are quickly turning heads. I have had the privilege of watching them wow crowds all along the Crooked Road.
Ayden Young, age 19, is a phenomenal banjo player. He has the strong right-hand drive and the left-hand fluency of a young J.D. Crowe or Terry Baucom. Ayden placed second at Galax’s Old Fiddler’s Convention in the youth division and third in the adult division. He is a jack of all trades. Instrumentalist, lead singer, recording engineer, mixing editor, mastering engineer, band leader, strategist, frontman, and jazz pianist.
Blane Young, age 14, has also placed second at Galax on mandolin and, despite having to push through his voice changing, is a gifted harmony singer. Blane is naturally funny — a true showman, winning over audiences through nearly 1,000 concerts, festivals, and TV appearances. The Brothers Young won first place in the youth band category at Galax in 2020 and recorded with both The Junior Sisk Band and Bent Mountain when they were 9 and 14 years old.
With several singles under their belt, this is their first full-length album, a self-titled project. Ayden, who is self-taught, did an amazing job recording and mixing his first-ever album. While there are many bluegrass standards on the album, Ayden showcases his songwriting ability with the original instrumental, Black Walnut Hills. More on that below.
Joining Ayden and Blane in the band are guitarist Stefan Kraft and bassist Steve Farmer. Victor Dowdy, of The Bluegrass Brothers, and one of the most powerful mountain bluegrass singers ever, was at a recent Brothers Young concert with his grandson. He told me, “These boys are an incredible band, and they can flat out play. They have a very bright future ahead of them, and I am a big fan.” That is high praise coming from another elite bluegrasser who grew up in Roanoke, and likewise plays with his brother.
In a day when many bands are using AI to generate their album cover art, The Brothers Young commissioned a young church friend, Ysabel Dalton, to draw their portraits in the style of Flatt and Scruggs’ 1968 album, Songs To Cherish. Their mom, a graphic artist, added the typography and layout. SPBGMA and IBMA take note of this project’s creative graphic design!
When I played the first track,Big Spike Hammer, I was blown away. Not blown away because the boys are teenagers, but blown away because it’s a killer version of a killer song. You will hear strong lead guitar, mandolin, and banjo breaks, a confident lead vocal, and beautiful brother harmony. I recently saw the band perform this song live at the Floyd Country Store and the Coffee Pot in Roanoke, and both audiences went wild. The venue manager in Roanoke told me he had never seen an audience respond with such enthusiasm to a bluegrass band, and he booked them for several future gigs. Festival promoter Vincent May was also in the house and, at the end, announced that he was inviting the band to play at the prestigious Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival.
Follow the Leader is a fast and challenging instrumental by Don Reno and Bill Harrell, and the brothers nail it. I played Don Reno’s version side by side with theirs, and with immense respect to one of the greatest banjo players ever, I prefer the teen’s version.
White Oak on the Hill, a little-known Ralph Stanley gospel number, transports you back to Dr. Ralph’s Dickinson County homeplace, circa 1947, and highlights tight vocal harmony. This may be the sleeper on the album.
Ayden’s favorite song on the album is Stone Wall and Steel Bars. Guitar player Stefan Kraft, with a nod to George Shuffler and Don Reno, demonstrates the benefits of quality guitar breaks. On this song, Ayden sings lead at the bottom of his vocal range. When I asked him why, he told me that, while difficult, he did it because brother Blane’s voice is still changing, and he chose to sing bass to provide Blane a soft landing place, vocally. This shows the affection and love these boys have for each other.
Black Walnut Hills is an exceptional instrumental that showcases Ayden’s songwriting ability and the band’s fine picking. Stefan Kraft’s and Blane’s lengthy breaks are top-notch. Keep writing originals, fellas!
Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, a tune made famous by Flatt and Scruggs, was first recorded in 1925 by moonshiner Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers. This version showcases Ayden’s strong lead vocal and, once again, the brother harmony that the Louvin brothers, Stanley brothers, and Jim and Jesse McReynolds modeled.
Fox On The Run has a fascinating history. It was written by Tony Hazzard in 1968 and was first recorded by the British rock band Manfred Mann. This soon-to-be classic was bluegrassified courtesy of Bill Emerson and Cliff Waldron in 1970. If you have been in a bluegrass band for even five minutes, some overserved fan has screamed “FOX ON THE RUN” at the top of his lungs until you relent and play it. The Brothers Young do a surprisingly good job, especially on the ascending three-step chorus. I had to chuckle when I heard the lyrics, “We will take a glass of wine and fortify our soul,” because the brothers are boys and don’t drink.
With their exceptional talent and work ethic, it’s only a matter of time before we see The Brothers Young gracing the stages of The Station Inn and the Grand Ole Opry.
