ClayBank Archives - Bluegrass Today

Track Premiere: Thanks for Nothin’ from ClayBank

Mountain Fever Records is releasing a target track from their highly anticipated album from ClayBank, the first with their newly reformulated lineup. Roadsigns & Highways is set to drop this Friday (July 26), and they have agreed to share Thanks For Nothin’ with our readers today.

ClayBank formed several years ago when two of its principals, Zack Arnold and Jacob Greer, were still in school. Zack’s powerful tenor voice attracted attention right away when the group began entering band contests in the western Virginia and North Carolina region, and they were quickly signed to Rural Rhythm Records for a debut album.

A second record was produced for Mountain Fever, No Escape, but the band fractured last year and its continuation was uncertain. This occurred simultaneously with the dissolution of Highland Travelers, freeing up banjo man Jason Davis and bass player Kameron Keller. Fiddler Jame Harper, long of Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, also made the jump to ClayBank, and a new lineup was in place. Davis and Keller were also alumni of Sisk’s band, and their addition could only serve to strengthen Arnold and Greer’s output.

Fans of the mashgrass sound, or the 1-4-5-drive type of bluegrass, have been eagerly awaiting this new ClayBank project, but they won’t have much longer to wait. In fact, have a listen now on a song that Harper tells us they all reacted to strongly right away.

“When we were gathering material for this record, we were all digging for songs that we had stored back for various solo or former band projects. Thanks for Nothin’ came up, and it quickly became a band favorite. Daniel Salyer, our buddy and one of the best singers and writers in the business, knocked this one out of the park! It’s a lay-it-all-out breakup song with a cool melody, and we knew we had to make a place on the album for it.”

Pre-orders for Roadsigns & Highways are available now online, as are pre-saves on Spotify. Radio programmers can find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

For more information about ClayBank, including booking details, contact them by phone (336-620-1718) or email.

Emma drops for ClayBank

Mountain Fever Records has released the first single from their upcoming album with ClayBank, perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated projects so far this year.

The band has reformed and reorganized since last season, with two members of the original ClayBank (Zach Arnold on mandolin and Jacob Greer on guitar) bringing in two members of Highland Travelers (Jason Davis on banjo and Kameron Keller on bass) along with fiddler Jamie Harper from Junior Sisk.

The band focuses on the contemporary “mash style” of bluegrass, hard-hitting, traditional, and with an edge. With a lineup like this, expectations are high, thus the thirst for a sample of their new sound.

For this first taste, they have chosen Emma from Kyle Burnette, a medium-tempo number they recorded this spring at Mountain Fever Studios in Riner, VA.

Emma is available now from your favorite download and streaming sites, and to radio broadcasters at AirPlay Direct.

Look for more details on a full album from ClayBank as the summer rolls along.

Reformed ClayBank comes into 2019 with a new energy

ClayBank, a powerhouse bluegrass band from North Carolina, hit the scene with a whomping stick in 2016. The young quartet won a number of prominent band contests, and within a few month had signed with a record label and a management agency.

Two years and two albums later, the group has announced some major membership changes, and an intention to leave their mark with a new album coming up in 2019.

Founding member Zack Arnold remains on mandolin, as does Jacob Greer on guitar, but they are now joined by Jason Davis on banjo, Jamie Harper on fiddle, and Kameron Keller on bass. The three additions are all multi-year veterans of Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, and Davis and Keller spent last year with Adam Steffey in his Highland Travelers band. They are among the cream of the crop when it comes to talented traditional grassers, just like Arnold and Greer, and the combination of these five is likely to generate some sparks.

By chance I happened to see Sisk this past weekend, and Harper, Davis, and Keller were all performing in his band. During intermission. I spoke with them about this new opportunity, and all three expressed unqualified enthusiasm. All five members will be partners in the new venture, something that these top pro sidemen had not experienced before, and the chance to play high-calibre music and own a piece of the rock is one they couldn’t pass up.

Arnold has built a reputation this past few years as one of the most promising young vocalists in bluegrass, with a strong tenor voice that can convey both power and emotion. But his ability to tour had been restricted since he was still in high school. Now that he has graduated, Zack is turning his full focus to music, and he and Jacob have been saving some new songs they have written for this next step.

Jamie also mentioned that he had some strong material he has been holding on to, so their upcoming Mountain Fever project should be something special.

Speaking for ClayBank, Greer says that he and Arnold are psyched to get started.

“I am beyond excited for Zack and I to team up with Jason, Kameron, and Jamie. We are merging with some of the very best musicians in bluegrass music today. Jason is phenomenal on banjo. Kameron has impeccable timing and taste on bass. And, the addition of the awesome fiddle playing of Jamie adds a whole new dimension to ClayBank. We can’t wait to begin recording and bring this band to a venue near you!”

They also expressed gratitude to Gary Trivette and Tyler Thompson who had worked with ClayBank from 2015 through last year.

Harper shared a few words as well about making the switch.

“I am really excited to be part of ClayBank with Jason and Kameron (that I’ve played music with for years) along with Zack and Jacob that I have watched mature into tremendous musicians, singers and songwriters. I think this combination of musicians and singers together brings a fresh energy to create and play with, and I’m sure looking forward to traveling and recording.”

The Andrea Roberts Agency will continue to represent the band, and they will retain their relationship with Mountain Fever. A new album is in the works for later this year.

No Escape – ClayBank

ClayBank’s 2016 debut album, Playing Hard to Forget, was a strong entry into the bluegrass scene, racking up comparisons to bluegrass heavyweights like the Lonesome River Band. Their new recording, which dropped last Friday from Mountain Fever Records, is a step up for what was already a fine group. No Escape is an all-around strong record – driving instrumentation, superb vocals, and the ever-popular modern traditional sound, something like the Boxcars meets early nineties LRB meets Junior Sisk. Yes, it’s a familiar style, but they do it well, with plenty of original songs, and that’s what matters.

Debut single Queen of Carolina, written by banjo player Tyler Thompson, opens the album with a crisp, rushing flood of bluegrass. It’s radio-friendly (currently sitting at number 6 on the Bluegrass Today weekly chart) and sure to get toes tapping during live performances, thanks to Thompson’s persistent banjo roll and a rhythm section that just doesn’t let up. Mandolin player Zack Arnold’s powerhouse vocals are not to be overlooked, either. The band also impresses on Where’s a Train When You Need One, co-written by Thompson and bass player Gary Trivette. It’s a fine bluegrass title and a strong bluegrass song, mourning the chance of freedom offered by trains passing through town.

Fans of Josh Williams may recognize If it Were Anyone But You, which Josh recorded on one of his early albums. Penned by Carl Jackson and Roger Brown, it’s a sweet love song, finding the singer realizing the one he loves is the only one who could have caught him for good. Guitarist Jacob Greer takes the lead on this one, offering a smooth country-style lead. He also handles lead vocals for two darker sounding numbers, perhaps pulling some inspiration from Darrell Webb as he growls the lyrics to Poor Lillie, a murder ballad from Thompson. No Escape, a meditation on loneliness written by the Grascals’ Adam Haynes and Danny Roberts with Danny’s daughter Jaelee, has a pulsing, mash-type sound to it – I can see it finding traction on radio, as well.

Arnold, Greer, and Thompson collaborated on two songs for the album. The first is Drown this Town, a glimpse at a family who lost their farm when a river was dammed up. It’s atmospheric, with moody guitar and banjo and soaring harmonies, and a particularly well-written first verse. The trio also wrote Follow this Lonesome Wind, a nice upbeat heartbreak song. What starts out seeming like an easygoing love song quickly turns into a lonesome rambling number, but what else would we expect from bluegrass music?

Two Gospel tracks also stand out here. Danny Roberts, who also produced the album, contributed the up-tempo Crucified by Me, which focuses on Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. The group closes the album with traditional number I’ll Wear a White Robe, which should be a treat for fans of a capella quartets. The band does a fine job with the harmonies, coming in somewhere between Ralph Stanley’s mountain twang and Doyle Lawson’s more Southern Gospel style.

Before listening to this album, I had heard a few songs from ClayBank’s previous album and even seen them at some band competitions, so I knew they were a strong group. However, I was truly impressed by No Escape. They’re a younger band, but certainly not inexperienced. Their music is full of drive and push and pulse, and a number of other synonyms that boil down to the fact that they’ve got modern traditional grass figured out. Take a listen – you’ll not be sorry.

For more information on Claybank, visit them online at www.claybankbluegrass.com.

ClayBank celebrates No Escape in North Carolina

The civic center in West Jefferson, NC was the site this past Saturday when Mountain Fever Records artists ClayBank assembled to celebrate the release of their new album, No Escape. Friends and fans filled the halls to hear the guys perform their new music, and fortunately, Deb Miller of B Chord Photography was on hand and sent along these photos from the event.

Vivian Hopkins of the North Carolina Bluegrass Association served as MC at the CD release concert.

ClayBank plays an aggressive, youthful style of bluegrass largely based around the impressive tenor vocals of teen mandolinist Zack Arnold. On banjo is Tyler Thompson with Jacob Greer on guitar, and Gary Trivett on bass.

No Escape is available now wherever you purchase bluegrass music, and to radio programmers at AirPlay Direct.

Queen Of Carolina, new single from ClayBank

2016 was the breakout year for ClayBank. The hot new bluegrass group from North Carolina knocked the socks off the bluegrass world with live appearances and band competition performances.

Much of the attention was generated by their young mandolinist Zack Arnold, whose soaring tenor voice drove the band as hard as did their dynamic rhythm section. An album was hurried out to take advantage of the buzz, and now this spring, No Escape, a new project on Mountain Fever Records will show whether they are a flash in the pan, or have what it takes to survive and thrive in the bluegrass world.

And judging from the debut single, released today, the name ClayBank will be on people’s lips for quite some time. Queen Of Carolina, written by banjo picker Tyler Thompson, shows the band having developed a more mature and confident sound, and a solid grasp on what appeals to fans in the present time. Fast, fresh, and with that blend of tradition and contemporary spirit that bluegrass radio should love.

In addition to Arnold and Thompson, ClayBank consists of Jacob Greer on guitar, and veteran grasser Gary Trivett on bass.

Queen Of Carolina is now available for download purchase from all the popular download sites, and to radio programmers at AirPlay Direct.

Look for No Escape to hit on April 27 from Mountain Fever Records.

ClayBank signs with Mountain Fever

Mountain Fever Records has announced the signing of ClayBank to the label. The young North Carolina band will produce an album for them in 2018.

ClayBank has experienced a meteoric rise in the past year and a half, largely based on the powerful singing of mandolinist Zach Arnold. At only 17 years of age, Zach is a seasoned vocalist with a strong tenor voice and a smooth feel for contemporary bluegrass. Working the contest scene the past two years they developed a reputation for energy and style that has brought them to the attention of nearly everyone in bluegrass.

Arnold is joined by Jacob Greer on guitar, Tyler Thompson on banjo, and Gary Trivette on bass. The elder statesman of the band, Gary has performed with a number of groups in North Carolina over the years, and accepts his role as chaperone/stabilizing force in ClayBank.

“They like the same kind of driving bluegrass music that I do. It is strange to find people with that difference in age that enjoy the same music. As for the young men in the band, I can give them some of the history of bluegrass music, but they already know a lot about it. Our musical style can basically be found between 1980 and 1999 or so, influenced by Doyle Lawson’s original Quicksilver band.”

A new project for Mountain Fever is expected in May, featuring mostly original material written within the band. That’s something to watch for in 2018.

Playing Hard To Forget – ClayBank

One thing for sure looking back on this year is that 2016 has been a banner year for ClayBank. The western North Carolina-based band has gone from dominating at band competitions in the early part of the year to their debut album released on Rural Rhythm Records, Playing Hard To Forget, all within a year and a half of forming the group in 2015.

ClayBank consists of three strong young bluegrass artists, Zack Arnold on mandolin, Jacob Greer on guitar, and Tyler Thompson on banjo, along with one seasoned pro (read: old guy) on bass in the person of Gary Trivette. Arnold is the primary lead vocalist, and he is set for a stellar career in bluegrass if he wants it. Possessed of a strong, clear, tenor voice, he sings with a sincerity and passion that makes it hard to believe he’s still in high school.

For this first album, they have pulled together material from some top bluegrass writers like Milan Miller, Becky Buller, Eli Johnston, and Randall Hylton, along with a number of originals written within the band. Their style is unsubtle and aggressive, hitting you hard with driving banjo and overhanded guitar rhythm, and powerful lead and harmony vocals. Folks in the Appalachian region know this sound well, which many describe as “1-4-5 drive,” or with the slightly overused phrase, “mashgrass.”

Zack sets a high standard right from the start on Buller’s How I Love You, and A Little Bit Of You, from Milan Miller and James Ellis, both fast-moving modern bluegrass songs with precise harmony provided by Jacob and Gary. Up On ClayBank serves as a signature song of sorts, written by Greer and Arnold, about a young man starting to understand how the adult world works. It’s gets the same in-your-face treatment as most of the material here.

There’s no way to avoid comparisons with the Lonesome River Band when listening to ClayBank. They have the same sort of swagger on stage, with the assertive rhythm and heartfelt vocals, getting every drop out of the four-piece configuration just like LRB did in the ’90s. You really hear it on Gospel favorite, I Believe, where Zack again demonstrates his mastery of this style.

Trivette and Greer are each featured on several tracks. Jacob sings My Baby’s Gone, a hit for Sawyer Brown in 1988, and Demise Of Handsome Molly, a new murder ballad from Eli Johnston and Kevin McKinnon. That second is a sequel to the old time classic, a bluesy number where the forelorn lover gets his revenge on Molly for turning her back on him. Playing Hard To Forget, also from Miller and Ellis, gets a nice acoustic country treatment with just guitar and mandolin accompaniment. With a voice much lower-pitched than Arnold, Jacob’s singing provides an effective contrast when he sings.

Gary takes lead on Daddy Would Sing, one he wrote that mines the familiar vein of papa worship about a beloved father who loved to sing with his family. He also sings Jay Don Johnson’s On My Way Back To You, the record’s final track. It’s a real barnburner that finishes the project on a high note.

The lone instrumental is Foot Of The Phoenix, written by Greer and Arnold. It provides a fine showcase for these boys’ picking skills, which are considerable.

ClayBank will be a force to be reckoned with in our music for as long as they stay together, and Zack Arnold is certain to be one of its leading lights. Playing Hard To Forget will find a welcome spot in the CD player of anyone who appreciates unapologetic bluegrass.

ClayBank celebrates album release

North Carolina’s ClayBank celebrated the release of Playing Hard To Forget, their debut album on Rural Rhythm Records, with a concert at the Harvest House Performing Arts Center in Boone on Tuesday night. The house was packed for the show, and everyone enjoyed hearing the guys perform the material from the new CD.

It’s a whirlwind year for ClayBank, starting with a 3rd place finish in the SPBGMA band contest in February, and 1st place at RenoFest in March, followed by signing with the Andrea Roberts Agency in April and with Rural Rhythm in May. They were a big hit at the World of Bluegrass convention last week in Raleigh, and now they have their first album in hand.

Not band for a group formed just over a year ago!

Zack Arnold is on mandolin, and lead and tenor vocals. Watching him on stage, and seeing his poise while singing with such precision and conviction, it’s hard to believe that he’s still in high school. This young man is a future star in our music.

He is joined by Jacob Greer on guitar, Tyler Thompson on banjo, and Gary Trivette on bass. They play with the sort of passion and drive long associated with the mountains of western North Carolina.

Deb Miller of B Chord Photography captured this video of the guys doing one of the album cuts, My Baby’s Gone, which was a hit for Sawyer Brown back in 1988

Find out more about ClayBank online.

ClayBank to Rural Rhythm

ClayBank, a new bluegrass group from western North Carolina is on the move again. This hard-driving young band – with one token veteran – has just signed with Rural Rhythm Records in Nashville. They expect to complete their debut project this summer for a fall 2016 release.

Roughly a year after their founding, they now have an agent and a record label, and the group generated a serious buzz earlier this year when they won first place in the prestigious RenoFest band competition in South Carolina.

The band is composed of Zack Arnold on mandolin and lead vocals, Jacob Greer on guitar, Tyler Thompson on banjo, and Gary Trivette on bass. Zack’s powerful lead singing has generated a lot of attention for ClayBank and is certain to have an impact when more people get to hear their music.

Sam Passamano with Rural Rhythm is pleased to start working with ClayBank.

“We are very excited about bringing this talented young group to Rural Rhythm. They encapsulate the essence and direction of the label, as we say around here – Edgy, But True to the Roots. ClayBank’s love for Bluegrass music and their fresh approach with their signature sound, showcases their tight harmonies and strong lead vocals. I am also very excited about the team ClayBank has put together to support their amazing talents. Rural Rhythm working closely with the Andrea Roberts Agency will provide a strong artist development team for years to come.”

You can see videos from the RenoFest performances in our earlier post, and on the band’s web site.