Carley Arrowood Archives - Bluegrass Today

Colors from Carley Arrowood

Mountain Home Music is set to release their latest album for Carley Arrowood this week, and is offering a sneak peek at the title track, Colors, for our readers at Bluegrass Today.

Colors is a thoughtful song of praise, using the metaphor of a painting to explain that while we might not see the image being prepared as its being completed, but once we do, it’s clear that it all was meant to be, and for our betterment.

Or as Carley explains it…

“Romans 8:28 says this: ‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.’

Colors is a contemplative gospel song that, in our finite minds, helps listeners think of God as an Artist. It asks how hard things and trials could possibly be by God’s design, then reminds us that, for the believer, everything has a purpose to the glory of God. We often pray and ask Him to change our situations when He often uses them to change us and help us better understand that He is sovereign and perfect.

And when we look back after coming through a trial, we see through eyes of faith that He was good the whole time, and He won’t ever stop being good!”

Arrowood plays fiddle and sings the lead, supported by her husband, Daniel Tharilkill, on guitar and harmony vocal, Nick Dumas on mandolin, Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Jeff Partin on bass and reso-guitar, and Tony Creasman on drums. Carley’s sister, Autumn Grace Watson, also added harmony.

It truly is a lovely song, one she wrote with Thrailkill, and Carley delivers it evocatively at the bottom of her range. Have a listen…

The full Colors album will be available on Friday, March 29, from popular download and streaming services online. Pre-orders and pre-saves are enabled now.

Radio programmers can get all the tracks now at AirPlay Direct.

Sunsets music video – Chasin’ Indigo from Carley Arrowood

Mountain Home Music recording artist Carley Arrowood had a sweet idea for a video to accompany her single from this past summer, Chasin’ Indigo.

The song is one she wrote with her husband, Daniel Thrailkill, about the beauty of sunsets, and of sharing them with someone you love. It proved to be popular with radio hosts over the summer, the best time of year to catch the twilight’s glow, and Carley says that audiences have always responded strongly to it when she plays it live.

For the video, she asked fans to share their favorite sunset photos, which she then used as the background for a lyric video for Chasin’ Indigo.

Arrowood says that the process revealed some infinite truths to her.

“The lovely photographs you see in this video are literally from all over! It’s amazing how we all see the same sun every evening, but how differently each sunset looks from our perspectives. It reminds me how each of our current circumstances and seasons of life are all different, whether good or bad or hard, but at the core of them, all is the same God, Yahweh, loving and caring deeply for all of us, and longing for us to run and return to Him. I speak to myself in saying that.”

The track features Arrowood on fiddle and lead vocals, Daniel Thrailkill on guitar, Nick Dumas on mandolin, Tabitha Benedict on banjo, Jeff Partin on bass and reso-guitar, and Tony Creasman on drums.

Have a look/listen…

Nice job, everybody!

Moondancer from Carley Arrowood

Mountain Home Music has a new single today for Carley Arrowood, Moondancer, a story she’s written about a Cherokee girl and a stunning white horse that becomes her fascination.

The narrative of the song takes place in Arrowood’s native western North Carolina, where her fertile mind creates an impressionistic allegory set against the natural beauty of the region. As the song proceeds, the girl learns that the horse she sees in the distance, which she hopes to capture and keep for her own, actually belongs in the wild where she can be free.

Carley says that she is pleased with the track this song has taken.

“Moondancer is a bittersweet story I hope folks will enjoy,. I absolutely love the mysterious, mystical feel we were able to create with it.

Last year at IBMA we got to share a raw version of it in the Songwriter Showcase, and earlier this year it won the Hazel Dickens Song Contest, so I’m just really excited to have the final studio version out everywhere!”

With Arrowood on fiddle and lead vocal, support comes from her husband, Daniel Thrailkill, on guitar, Nick Dumas on mandolin, Jeff Partin on reso-guitar and bass, Tabitha Benedict on banjo, and Tony Creasman on drums. Harmony vocals are provided by Thrailkill and Carley’s sister, Autumn Arrowood Watson.

It’s a compelling song, set off by the haunting and ethereal singing.

Check it out…

Moondancer is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

Chasin’ Indigo drops for Carley Arrowood

Carley Arrowood Thrailkill and Daniel Thrailkill

Mountain Home Music has a new single for Carley Arrowood, one she wrote with her husband, Daniel Thrailkill, guitarist/vocalist with The Trailblazers.

It’s a lovely contemporary bluegrass ballad called Chasin’ Indigo, which extols the importance of making time for the people that mean the most to you.

Carley says that the germ of the song came to them when everyone was working at home.

“A lot of times when you work from home it’s hard to find a stopping point, because you get so immersed in what you’re doing. My husband Daniel and I wrote Chasin’ Indigo as a way of remembering to look up, take our minds off our work and focus on each other the most.

One of our favorite things to do in the summertime is sit out at the end of our driveway and watch the sun go down across the pasture. Daniel’s favorite part is when the sky finally turns deep blue (the cover is of a sunset he captured in our front yard last summer!).

Chasin’ Indigo is such a special song to us, to remind each other that the simple moments together like that are ‘few and far between.'”

With Arrowood on fiddle and lead vocals, support comes from Thrailkill on guitar, Nick Dumas on mandolin, Tabitha Benedict on banjo, Jeff Partin on bass and reso-guitar, and Tony Creasman on drums.

Have a listen…

Chasin’ Indigo is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

Tsali’s Run from Carley Arrowood

Mountain Home Music’s latest single from Carley Arrowood demonstrates a different side of her musical personality.

Instead of a tender ballad or a driving bluegrass song, Tsali’s Run shows off this talented young performer’s skills as a fiddler and a tune writer. And combined with a hot group of other young grassers, she’s turned out a memorable track.

Carley says that the tune has its origins in her native western Carolina, and a trip she took with her husband, Daniel Thrailkill, who plays guitar on the single.

“I wrote this tune last summer as a fun attempt at something with a Celtic/bluegrass feel. Little did we know it would come to have a Cherokee title!

Last June, Daniel and I went on our first anniversary trip to Cherokee, NC, and saw Unto These Hills as a part of it. I have a little Cherokee in my veins, and it was so moving to learn more about Tsali, a Cherokee hero who gave up his life to save the rest of his people before the Trail of Tears took place. He and his two oldest sons willingly surrendered to a firing squad after running ‘unto the hills’ to hide. Go see the play if you haven’t!

This tune found its name when we got home from our trip, as we both could just picture Tsali and his boys running through the woods. The studio band was incredible, and Tony Creasman made the song feel extra chilling with his hand drum.

If you listen closely, you’ll hear three subtle crash cymbals as the song closes, and they mimic the sound of the gunshots that marked the bitter but courageous end of Tsali and his boys. Tsali’s Run is so energetic and thrilling to play, and I hope that listeners will love and be moved by it as we are.”

Assisting in the studio were Nick Dumas on mandolin, Jeff Partin on bass and reso-guitar, and Tabitha Benedict on banjo.

It’s super hot. Have a listen…

Tsali’s Run from Carley Arrowood is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

Deeper in Love – new single from Carley Arrowood

North Carolina bluegrass singer and fiddler Carley Arrowood is back with a tease from her upcoming second album with Mountain Home Music.

This first single is a swift moving grasser called Deeper in Love, a positive look at romance when you have a solid commitment from the one you depend on most, even when you are far away from home.

Carley says that while her special someone tours alongside as her guitarist, she recalls the sentiment from when she was out with Darren & Brooke Aldridge, and he was with another band.

“Deeper In Love is a new favorite from Josh Shilling and Bill Whyte, which highlights the emotions felt by a traveling musician. It starts by talking about how long and lonely the road can feel when you’re away from the one you love, but ultimately emphasizes that the steady love and support from them is what keeps the artist going, causing her to fall deeper in love with him!

My personal situation is a little different since my husband travels with me, but it’s still amazing to have his full and steady support as I pursue my dreams, as he has mine in his. We hope this song just makes you think about your favorite person and smile!”

With Arrowood on fiddle and lead vocal, and husband Daniel Thrailkill on guitar and harmony vocal, Nick Dumas contributes mandolin, Tabitha Benedict banjo, and Jeff Partin bass and reso-guitar. Carley’s sister, Autumn Arrowood, also sings harmony.

Check it out…

Deeper in Love from Carley Arrowood is available now from popular download and streaming services. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Will You Be Leavin’ – new single from Carley Arrowood

Mountain Home Music has a new single for Carley Arrowood, another taken from her current album, Goin’ Home Comin’ On, which releases everywhere tomorrow.

For this final pre-release single, they have chosen the record’s closing track, Will You Be Leavin’. And before you ask, yes… it’s the John Pennell song recorded by Alison Krauss in 1990 on her second project for Rounder Records, I’ve Got That Old Feeling, when she was only 18 years old. Alison had met Pennell when she joined his band, Silver Rail, taking a spot recently vacated by Andrea Zonn in 1983. The name changed shortly thereafter to Union Station, which she has kept as her band name to this day.

Carley tells us that she is thrilled to cut her own version of this beloved song.

“I first heard Will You Be Leavin’ as a teenager, trying to learn as much Alison Krauss as I could, and I’ve always loved it. When I was probably 17, my sister Autumn and I played in a band together with three other guys (Paul Watson, her husband and our bass player, was one of them), and we did this tune for a band contest. We wound up winning, and the song was just a blazer that crowds loved!

Since we started my band, we’ve picked it back up and it’s always a highlight on our set list. I love singing it with Daniel and Autumn, and I’m so glad they’re singing with me on the record. They’re a couple of powerhouses and they did so great on this cut. So did Paul on bass! It’s so nostalgic for me. I can’t wait for folks to hear our version!”

Like Krauss, Arrowood is featured here on fiddle and lead vocal, supported by her husband, Daniel Thrailkill, on guitar, Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Wayne Benson on mandolin, and Paul Watson on bass.

Have a listen…

Pre-orders are enabled now online for Goin’ Home Comin’ On at popular download and streaming services. The album can be purchased on Friday, April 8, directly from Carley’s web site.

Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Track Premiere: Ernest T. Grass from Bluegrass at the Crossroads

Mountain Home Music continues to releases singles from its Bluegrass at the Crossroads album, a sort of ‘band scramble in the studio’ project that puts musicians and singers from different groups together to record both new and classic bluegrass.

This week the latest will be available, a new take on Ernest T. Grass, a modern banjo classic Sammy Shelor included on his 1997 record, Leading Roll. Written by Ronnie Bowman and Dan Tyminski, this catchy little number was a part of Lonesome River Band shows back in the day, and has since become a jam standard all over the world.

For this new version, Sammy is again at the fore, with a slightly modified arrangement of the melody, supported by Mountain Home label mate Carley Arrowood Thrailkill on fiddle, Wayne Benson on mandolin, Travis Book on bass, and Joe Cicero on guitar. It marks the first time that Shelor, long time leader of Lonesome River Band, and Benson, veteran mando man with IIIrd Tyme Out, have ever recorded together. They all mess around with the AABB structure resulting in a tasty track.

Carley’s reaction to this track perfectly capsulizes the impact this tune has had on young grassers.

“I heard and played Ernest T. Grass in jams when I was a teenager, and then got to meet Sammy Shelor for the first time and pick one-on-one at a festival several years ago when we had some downtime between sets. He’s such a great guy! It’s the coolest thing to be included among so many of my musical heroes on this tune. It brings it all together full circle when I think about playing it as a kid, and now playing it with the guy who made it famous in the first place. What a blessing!”

Have a listen…

The new Bluegrass at the Crossroads cut of Ernest T. Grass will be available on Friday, August 20, from popular download and streaming services. Radio programmers can get it now at AirPlay Direct.

Congratulations Carley and Daniel!

Carley Arrowood and Daniel Thrailkill on their wedding day – photo by Sarah Coffey Photography

It was a full on bluegrass wedding June 26 when Carley Arrowood married Daniel Thrailkill at the Back Creek Presbyterian Church in Mount Ulla, NC.

The happy couple are each pursuing a career as bluegrass performers, Arrowood as a singer and fiddler recording for Mountain Home Music Company, and Thrailkill as guitarist and vocalist with The Trailblazers. Both are on the up among young grassers, with bright futures in the music.

Back Creek Presbyterian is Daniel’s home church, where he dad has been pastor this past twenty years. The senior Thrailkill officiated at the wedding, assisted by Carley’s pastor. As young artists, there was plenty of music during the service from friends of the bride and groom. Nate Burie sang at the opening, and again in duet with Carley’s sister, Autumn. Chosen Road sang How Great Thou Art at the end, and played as the couple processed from the church.

Chosen Road then played a full set while wedding photos were taken. During the reception, Carley and her band performed, as did The Trailblazers, with a special guest set from The Foreign Landers.

Daniel tells us that the 190 people at the ceremony were the perfect component of family of friends to share the day with.

“We had a good group of people around us… really encouraging. A lot of the Scripture we had been studying before the wedding was about peace. My dad reminded us that what we were doing was about building something invisible – the commitment between the two of us.”

And Carley said that the setting was perfect.

“There was so much music in the ceremony, and I couldn’t have imagined it any other way. It seems that a lot of weddings are over so quickly, and I wanted ours to be something to remember. It was about an hour long service. I had been praying that I would be calm and be able to soak everything in. And I was!”

The couple shared their first dance to Love Never Fails, sung by their friends Zack and Savannah Alvis. For Carley’s Daddy/daughter dance, Daniel sang Cinderella from Steven Curtis Chapman.

Following the reception, Daniel and Carley left for a honeymoon near Marion, VA. They rented a cabin in the woods, and enjoyed some peace and quiet away from all the hectic wedding activity. There they got to take a bicycle ride along the Virginia Creeper Trail.

Carley said that while the honeymoon was mostly peaceful, they did have some visitors.

“These crows would come to our front yard every morning and crow. The last day we were there, they came and started pecking on the windows!”

The newlyweds will reside in Newton, NC, just south of Hickory, where they are currently renovating their new home.

This weekend they are headed back to Marion for a show at the Lincoln Theater, with both the Carley Arrowood Band and The Trailblazers on the bill.

Congratulations and best of luck to Carley and Daniel!

Photos courtesy of Sarah Coffey Photography.

Track Premiere: On The Lonesome Breeze from Bluegrass at the Crossroads

Mountain Home Music Company is set to release another single tomorrow from its Bluegrass at the Crossroads project, a band scramble sort of recording where members of various bands and solo artists are grouped into unexpected ensembles. They have intentionally matched musicians from the more traditional side of bluegrass with those of a more progressive bent, and the results have been quite impressive.

Tomorrow’s release is for On The Lonesome Breeze, a song written by Travis Book of Infamous Stringdusters and project producer Jon Weisberger. Travis takes the lead vocal as well, supported by Lonesome River Band banjoist Sammy Shelor, Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out on mandolin, Carley Arrowood on fiddle, and Joe Cicero of Fireside Collective on guitar. Book plays the bass as well, with vocal harmonies provided by Arrowood and John Cloyd Miller of Zoe & Cloyd.

With the exception of Benson and Arrowood, none of these artists have ever recorded together, precisely the sort of interactions Mountain Home was after in these sessions.

Travis recalls how this one came to be written.

“One of the first times I met Jon, more than ten years ago, he suggested the hook and soon thereafter we wrote On The Lonesome Breeze. I jumped at the chance to help bring this song to life, and I loved being a part of Bluegrass at the Crossroads — the recording session is already the stuff of legend!”

Jon picks it up from there…

“I’ve loved this song ever since Travis and I wrote it. When I put this session together, it came to mind right away — and I knew not only that he would turn in a great vocal, but that it would be a chance to really underline what can come from bringing together these masterful musicians from different backgrounds: a memorable recording, and a lot of fun in the studio, too. Making good music and building community are what Bluegrass at the Crossroads is all about!”

Here’s the track.

On The Lonesome Breeze will be available as a single tomorrow, April 30, wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track now from AirPlay Direct.