Lindley Creek Archives - Bluegrass Today

Spring Is In The Air Again video from Lindley Creek

Pinecastle Records has a new video this week for Missouri family band Lindley Creek, and their uplifting current single, Spring Is In The Air Again.

Perfect for the fresh blooms and warm breezes wafting about much of the US this time of year, this song comes from Tim Stafford and Robert Starnes, and was produced in the studio by Jim VanCleve. It’s a happy, feel good number, very much the typical fare for the Greer family of Lindley Creek, and their talented lead singer, Katie Greer Hutson.

Other members of the band include Katie’s parents Kathie on guitar and John Rob on bass, brother Jase on fiddle, and sister-in-law Caroline on reso-guitar.

If this winsome music video doesn’t put a smile on your face, you’re a much stronger cynic than I could ever be, with its mix of outdoor performance and lovely springtime nature scenes.

Have a look/listen…

Spring Is In The Air Again, and the full Whispers in the Wind album on which it is included, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Anyone planning to be in Branson, MO over the Easter weekend can catch Lindley Creek at Silver Dollar City, Thursday through Sunday.

Spring Is In The Air Again from Lindley Creek

Pinecastle Records has a new single this week from Lindley Creek, taken from their current Whispers in the Wind album.

Lindley Creek is made up the Greer family of Missouri, with parents Kathie and John on guitar and bass, daughter Katie on mandolin, son Jase on fiddle, and daughter-in-law Caroline on reso-guitar. Katie is out front on lead vocals, where she truly shines, something recognized by the IBMA with a Momentum Award nomination for Vocalist of the Year after the band’s 2020 debut project for Pinecastle.

Spring Is In The Air Again comes from the veteran bluegrass songwriting team of Tim Stafford and Bobby Starnes, with its tale of rebirth as the warmer weather returns, and with it, looking forward to summer sights and sounds. I think most of us can share those hopes this time of year, though I did hear today of daffodils popping up from a family member in northern Virginia. Won’t be long now!

The Greers sing on this track, with studio support from Seth Taylor on guitar, producer Jim VanCleve on fiddle, Rob Ickes on resonator guitar, Mike Bubb on bass, and Aaron Ramsey on mandolin. It fits right in with Lindley Creek’s penchant for positive contemporary bluegrass, and it’s truly a lovely track with Katie singing.

Check it out…

Spring Is In The Air, and the full Whispers in the Wind, album are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Whispers in the Wind – Lindley Creek

Lindley Creek gained a lot of momentum after the release of their debut project, Freedom, Love and the Open Road, in 2020. The family band’s sophomore effort, Whispers In The Wind, once again shows us their strong vocals and keen ability for selecting first rate material

The project kicks off with That Page Won’t Turn by Brink Brinkman. Sung by Katie Greer, this is a clever, metaphorical piece about lost love. As with the previous release, all vocals are sung by Lindley Creek, while instrumental backing is provided by studio musicians. Jim VanCleve again plays fiddle and is the producer. Along with VanCleve, the supporting cast consists of Seth Taylor on guitar, Rob Ickes on resophonic guitar, Mike Bub on bass, and Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and banjo. While I wish we could hear more of the family’s instrumental skills, you can’t argue with the consistency and high caliber of musicianship this recording has.

Every Time A Train Goes By and Too Bad You’re No Good are both drawn from the country canon. The former was recorded by Sylvia in 2016, while the latter was cut in 2000 by Trisha Yearwood. Both are rendered in a strong contemporary bluegrass fashion. Katie’s performance on the Yearwood song has a particularly emotive bluesy feel.

Breathe was written by Katie and her mother Kathie Greer. This song contains a peaceful message about staying calm in times of emotional difficulty. As someone who’s dealt with both anxiety and depression for over ten years, this track particularly resonated with me, as I’m sure it will for other listeners as well.

I’m Still Here was written by Thomm Jutz, Charley Stefl, and Jon Weisberger. Featuring the smooth lead vocals of Jase Greer, this is another positive song with a message of persevering, and being positive even in the face of struggles.

Fare Thee Well and We All Need Grace were both co written by Katie Greer and Melody Williamson Keyes. The former is about the end of a romantic relationship, but takes on an angle that most songs of this nature don’t. Rather than focusing on loss and hurt, this piece zeroes in on the wonderful things that came out of the love affair. The latter track is a gospel song which talks of our need for love and forgiveness when we fall short.

Whispers In The Wind is a wonderful recording. It’s not only chock full of originality, but most every song has something that the listener can connect with on a deep emotional level. That is the mark of true artistry.

Every Time A Train Goes By from Lindley Creek

Pinecastle Records is celebrating today’s release of their latest album from Ozark grassers Lindley Creek, Whispers in the Wind, by dropping another single, Every Time A Train Goes By.

Lindley Creek has grown from a typical family bluegrass band, where parents Kathie and John Rob Greer taught their three children to play together, into a formidable touring and recording group with an impressive record. Oldest son John, who played banjo, has since left the band, but siblings Katie on mandolin and Jase on fiddle still remain, picking and singing alongside mom and dad.

Katie’s powerful lead vocals are the focus of Lindley Creek’s music, along with the family harmony, and she is the feature on this latest single. The song was written by country artist Sylvia, with John Mock and Thom Schuyler, which Sylvia recorded in 2016. The Greers give it a dynamic bluegrass treatment, with help from Seth Taylor on guitar, Jim VanCleve, who also produced, on fiddle, Rob Ickes on resonator guitar, Mike Bubb on bass, and Aaron Ramsey on mandolin.

Speaking jointly, the Greers shared their thoughts on this track.

“Every Time A Train Goes By is a powerful yet haunting melody that captivated us from the first moment we heard it. But more than the melody, the lyrics spoke to us as well. The image of a young girl being frightened at first, and then overcoming her fears really resonated.

We love a chance to sing about a train, as any bluegrass band does, but this metaphor is a powerful one that can be applied to any situation where fear is holding you back. It’s truly an anthem about defying doubts and gaining confidence. Plus, it jams pretty hard.

It’s become a favorite at our live shows, and we are so excited to bring this song to bluegrass fans everywhere!”

Have a listen…

Lindley Creek will be hosting an album release concert on Saturday, July 23, at Dallas County Fairgrounds in Buffalo, Missouri at 5:00 p.m. The band will perform all of the music from Whispers in the Wind on stage, with their newest member, Jase’s wife Caroline Greer, who plays reso-guitar and shares in singing duties.

Every Time A Train Goes By, and the full Whispers in the Wind album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online. Audio CDs can be ordered directly from the band.

Radio programmers can get the tracks from AirPlay Direct.

Fare Thee Well video from Lindley Creek

Pinecastle Records has released a music video for their latest single with family grassers, Lindley Creek.

It’s a song written by mandolinist Katie Greer, along with Melody Williamson of Williamson Branch, two of the shining young female vocalists in our music. Called Fare Thee Well, the lyrics tell of someone saying goodbye to a failed romance, but in that wonderfully bluegrass fashion, it’s a sprightly, feel-good sound describing an unhappy time.

Lindley Creek is made up of the Greer family of Missouri, with mom and dad, Kathie and John Rob, on guitar and bass, respectively, and their adult children Katie and Chase on mandolin and fiddle.

Speaking collectively, they shared a few words about the new single, and the music video shoot.

“We put a bluegrass twist on a modern-concept lyric video. Since our band was born out of the festival and jam culture, we thought it would be cool to put the lyrics out there. The greatest compliment for our original music is when someone wants to cover it themselves at a jam, around a campfire, or at a festival somewhere. Making the lyrics beautiful and easily accessible was our main goal with this visual creation.

Filmed in La Sal Del Rey (a natural salt lake) in the tip of Texas, the effect was breathtaking. It looks so much like we are standing on ice, that it played tricks on our minds. We kept checking to see if we were about to fall through! The trek to the location was over a mile. We arrived at day break and were surprised to see a little family of javelina trotting across the path. John Rob carried his bass on his shoulder the whole way!

As we grew up with bluegrass, our friendships with other bands have formed some very strong bonds. It was one of those friendships that gave birth to the song, Fare Thee Well. Co-written by Katie and Melody Williamson Keyes, the tune speaks to a changing relationship that seems to follow nature’s seasons. The lilting fiddle tune melody seems to lift the song to an almost cheerful ballad in the midst of heartbreak.

We hope you enjoy our lyric video of Fare Thee Well. It’s another taste of our upcoming album, Whispers in the Wind, releasing July 2023.”

It’s a lovely track. Check out the music video.

Fare Thee Well is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Fare Thee Well drops for Lindley Creek

Once again, Lindley Creek has released a feel-good bluegrass song with their latest single for Pinecastle Records.

The Creek is a family band, made up of the Greers from the Ozark region of Missouri. Mom and Dad, Kathie and John, play guitar and bass, with their children, Katie and Jase, on mandolin and fiddle. Family harmony is a big part of their show, but it’s Katie’s powerful lead singing that sets the group apart. That, and their focus on quality original material, has made them favorites both in person and on bluegrass radio.

This latest, Fare Thee Well, is a breakup song written by Katie along with Melody Williamson Keyes of Williamson Branch. But even on what might be a sad story, the story focuses instead on the good gained in the relationship, now that it has passed.

Produced by Jim VanCleve, it moves along in a nice mid-tempo bluegrass groove. Check it out…

Fare Thee Well from Lindley Creek is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

It will also be included in their next full-length album, Whispers in the Wind, expected later this year from Pinecastle.

Too Bad You’re No Good from Lindley Creek

Missouri’s Lindley Creek has a new single this week on Pinecastle Records, which is a total break in tone from their previous efforts. We had come to know this talented family band for a series of happy, feel good songs, complete with professionally produced music videos. But with Too Bad You’re No Good, we hear Katie Greer unleash a low down 12 bar blues number about a no good man she just can’t live without.

The song was written by Paul Craft and Cadillac Holmes, and was recorded in 2000 by Trisha Yearwood. Lindley Creek provides a bang up version of their own with support from Seth Taylor on banjo and guitar, Aaron Ramsey on mandolin, Mike Bub on bass, Jeff Partin on reso-guitar, and producer Jim VanCleve on fiddle.

A music video has been shot for Too Bad You’re No Good, with an old west vibe, filmed at the Silver Dollar Saloon at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. It features all the Greers, Katie on mandolin, Jase on fiddle, Kathy on guitar, John Rob on bass. Long time Lindley Creek fans will recognize the group’s original banjo picker, Tate Greer, making an appearance. He has since moved on from the road life, but couldn’t resist being part of the video production.

Katie tells us that this shoot was the most involved to date for them.

“We are more excited for this video than we have been about any other video we have produced. (All Lindley Creek videos are created, produced and edited in house.) We had a vision for this video from the moment we heard the song when it was pitched to us. It’s been a bit of a passion project for us. We definitely lost sleep over creating this video, but in a good way. We are absolutely THRILLED to share our visual adaptation of Too Bad You’re No Good with our fans who we love so much!

We were inspired to record this one because it was so effortlessly fun that we could not stop smiling and singing along and bobbing our heads…even before we really knew the words.

Shooting the video was a huge challenge. It was very busy and exciting! We had not worked with that many actors before. The crew at Silver Dollar City was amazing. We had an entire warehouse of costumes and props to choose from. SDC even provided a lighting technician and support staff. Some of the top actors in Branson guest starred to make it a really phenomenal performance. It took several weeks of planning costumes, cast, logistics, lighting, storyboarding, and FOOD to be ready. On the day of the shoot, there was so much happening, but everyone that was involved really wanted to be there and gave it their best! There were times we didn’t think we could pull it off, but in the end it turned out even better than we had hoped! Every time we watch it we still smile and laugh.

Too Bad You’re No Good is the second release from our upcoming album. We have put so much time and energy into our sophomore album…It’s really a piece of who we are and we are eager for the world to hear it.”

Check it out…

Too Bad You’re No Good is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

The single will be included in a new Lindley Creek project on Pinecastle Records later this year.

Video Premiere: This Page Won’t Turn from Lindley Creek

Lindley Creek, the singing Greer family from the Ozarks of Missouri, has been making waves of late in bluegrass circles based on the strength of their recent recordings and the vocal prowess of mandolinist Katie Greer. Along with her brother Jase on fiddle, and parents Kathie on guitar and John on bass, they tour the US and Canada with their blend of secular and Gospel bluegrass, with an acoustic country flair.

They are up for a pair of Momentum Awards next week during World of Bluegrass in Raleigh. Katie is nominated for Momentum Vocalist of the Year, and the band for Momentum Band of the Year. These are awards designed to highlight artists with special merit in an early stage of their professional career, and can offer a big boost just as people are starting to pay attention in the industry.

Pinecastle Records has a lead single this week for Lindley Creek’s upcoming sophomore project, along with a music video we are pleased to premiere today. The song is called That Page Won’t Turn, written by Mark Brinkman, which uses a book metaphor to describe the singer’s life, and a broken romance a single page. Very effective.

Speaking for the group, Katie tells us…

“It’s really exciting to be releasing music from our upcoming album! We are so thankful for the success of our first album, Freedom, Love, and the Open Road. That album has made it possible to create another project full of amazing songs along with our producer, Jim VanCleve. We absolutely love the music we get to make together! We are anxious for everyone to hear this first single, That Page Won’t Turn. It’s a very relatable song to anyone who has experienced love lost, but it’s kinda bouncy, so it’s really fun to perform live!

We really enjoyed creating the music video for That Page Won’t Turn. It was shot in five different locations around our home region of Southwest Missouri. Producing our own music videos is really an extension of our love for the music, and the hope that our vision for every song engages listeners from all walks of life. You can check out all our music videos on our website.”

On this track, we have the Greers providing the vocals, supported by a crack studio band. Seth Taylor is on guitar, Aaron Ramsey on mandolin and banjo, Rob Ickes on reso-guitar, Jim VanCleve on fiddle, and Mike Bub on bass. Together they deliver a very strong result.

Have a look/listen…

That Page Won’t Turn from Lindley Creek is available now from Pinecastle Records at popular download and streaming sites online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct. The song will be included on the band’s upcoming album release, expected sometime in 2022.

Attendees at next week’s World of Bluegrass convention should be on the lookout for Lindley Creek, who will be official showcase artists performing during the week.

Video Premiere: Sunshine Song from Lindley Creek

The Greer family of Missouri who make up the band Lindley Creek, has been a self-contained unit since they started touring professionally 15 years ago. Like most groups based on blood connections, the Greers had to do for themselves, though they never shied away from bringing in help when it was needed.

Such was the story of their association with Nashville producer and superfiddler Jim VanCleve, who oversaw the recording of the latest Lindley Creek album on Pinecastle Records, Freedom, Love and the Open Road. He first got to know the family as a private, online teacher for Jase Greer some years ago, a relationship that grew when he met Jase for an in-person lesson some years later, and got to know the band.

Today we are delighted to premiere a music video the group produced for their latest single from that album.

Sunshine Song offers a stark contrast to the album’s previous focus track, The Mockingbird’s Voice, which was a dark and somber look at heartbreak and abandonment. This one nearly bubbles with enthusiasm and lust for life, with an infectious melody and a catchy intro using Scruggs-style guitar.

The Greers shared this description of the track and the video.

We have been making our own music videos in-house from the very beginning. Whether it’s trying to keep the drone from crashing and falling into the river, or scaling a rocky cliff side with a mandolin in one hand and a camera in the other to get the perfect shot, we love the creative challenge of making a song come to life visually. Every song has its own personality, and the video brings that to life.

We wrote Sunshine Song from the heart. Sometimes you find yourself putting up with the negative and dishonest. This song is our way of saying ‘Ain’t nobody gonna steal my sunshine!’

“When Jase came to me with the tune, I immediately thought, ‘This is a happy song!’ says lead singer Kathie Greer. “It was fun to just write something to be happy and empowering. It’s totally different from The Mockingbird’s Voice. It’s so great to be able to represent more than one emotion on an album, and Freedom, Love, and the Open Road has done that for us.”

The inspiration for both the song and music video was drawn from the rich and beautiful scenery of the Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas. We tour there in the winter months close to the picturesque beaches of South Padre Island and its fragrant orange groves! We actually buy our oranges from that family-owned orange grove pictured in the video. The car Katie is driving is a rare James Bond 007 Thunderbird that a fan was generous enough to let us use!

Here at the end of winter, we are all ready for some sunshine. This has been a rough year, no doubt; but we can choose to find the happy and we hope this song helps.

Enjoy… as we get an early tease of springtime weather here in the Appalachian region.

Nicely done.

Sunshine Song and the full Freedom, Love, and the Open Road album is widely available on Pinecastle wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

Lindley Creek is actually back in the studio this week working on a follow-up project. Can’t wait to get a taste of that.

Freedom, Love, and the Open Road – Lindley Creek

One of the most time-honored traditions in the bluegrass world is that of the family band – mom, dad, and the kids, often building the band from the ground up as the kids and parents hone their craft together over the years. Lindley Creek, one of the newer family groups to emerge on the bluegrass circuit, is no stranger to that story. After being invited to a jam by their Sunday school teacher, the Missouri-based Greer family fell in love with bluegrass, eventually all deciding to learn to play and sing. That led to performances at fairs and festivals, time on the road as a full-time touring band, and most recently, the release of a finely-honed album from Pinecastle Records titled Freedom, Love, and the Open Road.

The album’s first pair of singles, I Gotta Go and The Mockingbird’s Voice, have received a lot of love on radio since their release several months back, likely coming from the excellent vocals to be heard on both recordings. The Mockingbird’s Voice is an atmospheric number about a man whose sweet words contrast with his unfaithful heart, led by daughter Katie Greer’s well-controlled voice and haunting guitar and fiddle. This contrasts nicely with the cheerful, bouncy melody of I Gotta Go, penned by Ashby Frank. Katie takes a breezy approach to this one, letting a man know she’s tired of waiting around on him, so she’s “not waiting around to see [him] fall” It’s a catchy, toe-tapping slice of contemporary bluegrass, perfect for radio.

Son Jase Greer’s warm lead vocal is showcased on Right Back Where I Started, a thoughtful song about making it back home after time spent chasing other dreams. The song’s message, summed up in the lines “I won’t ever look at this place the same. No, it ain’t different, but what has changed is how I’ve come to regard it,” is positive and heartening. Home to You also has themes of returning home, though with a more romantic bent. Katie’s voice is filled with determination, as well as a bit of longing, as she sings of everything she’s bound to do to get back to the one she loves: “Gonna drive my car ’til the wheels fall off, then I’ll ditch my keys and begin to walk.” Both of these songs have more of an acoustic country sound than bluegrass, and I could even see them being picked up by some country DJs.

The group tackles a few cover songs, including I’m Gonna Take that Mountain, a Reba McEntire hit written by Jerry Salley and Melissa Peirce. It’s an uplifting, soulful number about overcoming heartbreak, with a great vocal performance. Bob Dylan’s Forever Young opens with a bright intro, led by mandolin and fiddle, leading into an earnest reading of the lyrics Dylan wrote as a blessing and lullaby for his son. The melody gently rolls throughout most of the song, rising here and there at the repeated line “May you stay forever young.” It’s a great rendition of the famous song.

Another highlight is the bluesy Gospel number, Four Men Walkin’ Around, which tells the story of the Biblical fiery furnace. It’s a fun vocal showcase for the family, with great harmonies. Words Last Forever is also an enjoyable number, containing strong imagery. The lyrics describe a neglected home and piece of land, comparing their damage and ruin to the memory of words that “echo down the years and days, through long midnights when all hope fades… they’re just as clear as when I still held you here.”

In general, this is an extremely strong album, with powerful clear vocals and strong choice of songs. Katie and Jase, along with parents Kathie and John, have the makings of a fine group, if a little more country-leaning than traditionally bluegrass. The musicians, however, are all guests, including Seth Taylor (guitar), Rob Ickes (dobro), Aaron Ramsey (mandolin), and Jim Van Cleve (fiddle, and who also produced the album), among others. From album photos and their history as a touring band, it seems that the Greers do all play instruments, so it’s a bit of a disappointment that most of the music here is created by artists who are well-known as studio professionals. It does lead to an extremely strong album, but I honestly like it best when a bluegrass band can create an album as close to their live sound as possible. Hopefully we’ll hear more of the Greers’ instrumental talents on their next album.

Lindley Creek’s new album is available from several online retailers. For more information, visit the band online.