Magnolia Drive Archives - Bluegrass Today

Timeless – Magnolia Drive

Magnolia Drive has been entertaining audiences around the Southeast and Midwest for over ten years. Their sophomore release, Timeless, from Mountain Fever Records, demonstrates the traditional, yet slightly contemporary sound the band has become recognized for.

This Mississippi-based group consists of the same four guys that have been there since day one, Don Robinson on banjo and vocals, Steve Nowell on bass and vocals, Mike Nowell on guitar and vocals, and Cory Burton on mandolin. They are also joined by special guests, Glen Harrell of Volume Five on fiddle and Tim Hathorn on dobro, giving the group an even fuller sound on certain tracks.

The track listing on Timeless is a mixture between original songs and the group’s interpretations of material previously recorded by other artists. Lonely Side of Goodbye, written by the late Randall Hylton is a strong opening track that contains plenty of drive and emotion. Going Back In Time by Mike Nowell is a piece reflecting on the classic theme of love that didn’t last. It’s presented here in a way that’s not overly clichéd, and it really tells a great story.

I Will Always Be With You and I Won’t Call You are also standouts within the category of original material on this project. The former written by Steve Nowell is a positive love song detailing commitment and faithfulness while the latter, written by Don Robinson, tells the story of moving past feelings of heartbreak.

Mountain Rose co-written by Nowell and Leroy Drumm has all the elements of a great traditional bluegrass song. Not only does it have a catchy melody, but it’s paired alongside a strong narrative that can hook the listener in immediately.

Your Tender Loving Care by Buck Owens and It’s Me Again Lord by Dottie Rambo are both given stellar bluegrass treatments by Magnolia Drive. These two tracks are good examples of how effective the group is at making old songs new again.

Magnolia Drive is a band that effortlessly straddles the fence between traditional and contemporary bluegrass styles. Timeless not only exhibits the chemistry that the group has been continually maintaining over the last ten years, but also the vibrancy of their music. There couldn’t be a more fitting title for this album!

The Girl on Sugar Pie Lane from Magnolia Drive

Mountain Fever Records has released another single from Mississippi’s Magnolia Drive, a real crackerjack of a song from the early catalog of the great Buck Owens.

You can tell by the title, The Girl on Sugar Pie Lane, that this one is a lighthearted number, and the guys in Magnolia Drive give it a perfect bluegrass sendup. They capture all the fun and frivolity of Buck’s 1968 release, and even the vocal harmonies from the original cut, songwriter Tommy Collins’ recording from 1966.

Bluegrass fans surely know some of Collins’ work, as he also wrote High On A Hilltop, famously recorded by Merle Haggard, and done up grass style by several artists including The Osborne Brothers, Seldom Scene, and The Grascals.

Through their decade-long career, Magnolia Drive has specialized in a clean throwback sound, referencing the classic bluegrass from the 1960s and ’70s. But they truly have their own distinct sound, as you can clearly hear on this latest single.

The band consists of Don Robinson on banjo, Mike Nowell on guitar, his brother Steve “Speed” Nowell on bass, and Cory Burton on mandolin. All four share the vocal duties, with Don taking the lead on this one, jumping to tenor on the choruses. Glen Harrell adds fiddle and Tim Hathorn reso-guitar.

Steve offered a few words about the new track.

“The Girl on Sugar Pie Lane is a great song. Tommy Collins wrote many fantastic tunes, with some becoming instant hits. This one is on the lighter side of love but no less a hit to us. Some of Buck’s recordings did not receive as much notoriety as others, but this one was certainly a chart-topper to us when we first heard this song. With the upbeat bounce of the music and the beckoning cry for love in the lyrics, it just checked all the boxes for a fine Magnolia Drive bluegrass recording! It’s a fun song to perform, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it on the radio and other platforms.”

If this doesn’t make you smile, you’ve got the lonesome mighty bad.

The Girl on Sugar Pie Lane from Magnolia Drive is available now wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

Track Premiere: I Won’t Call You from Magnolia Drive

Mountain Fever Records has a new single this week for Magnolia Drive, one of the more recent acts to come onboard with the label. Based in Mississippi, this quartet specializes in original material that brings back the sound of bluegrass from the 1970s.

This first single from the band’s upcoming Mountain Fever project is one written and sung by banjo player Don Robinson entitled I Won’t Call You. It’s sort of the opposite of a love song, about having a former romantic partner pop back into your life unexpectedly, and how it feels to reconnect.

Or as Don puts it..

“I wrote this song around 1999, after witnessing a major argument between a co-worker and his girlfriend. After an hour or so of shouting and cursing at each other two doors down from mine, she walked out of his office past mine with him right behind her. She said, ‘Don’t worry about me calling you anymore!’ His response which triggered the hook line and title of the song was, ‘PLEASE don’t call me, and I won’t call you!’ I knew that was a great line, so I started thinking in terms of what I would do if MY old flame were to call me. Being happily married with kids, I knew the only response should/would be, ‘PLEASE don’t call me and I won’t call you!’ Believe it or not, the real-life phone call came a few years later! So…what was written as a ‘what-if,’ actually turned into a true story!”

Robinson is joined by regular band mates Mike Nowell on guitar, Steve Nowell on bass, and Cory Burton on mandolin. Glenn Harrell adds fiddle on the track, and Tim Hathorn play reso-guitar.

Mark Hodges at Mountain Fever has been very impressed by the music of Magnolia Drive, especially their vocal trios.

“I love the way these guys harmonize. The detail they put into their phrasing is so wonderful to hear, and a lot of bands can learn something from Magnolia Drive just by listening. They are a tribute to the great vocal groups of yesterday.”

Hear’s the track…

I Won’t Call You by Magnolia Drive will be available March 23 wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get the track at AirPlay Direct.

Magnolia Drive signs with Mountain Fever Records

Mountain Fever Records has announced the signing of Magnolia Drive, a contemporary/traditional bluegrass band from southern Mississippi.

The quartet performed a virtual showcase during the 2020 World of Bluegrass convention, and impressed everyone with their vocal and instrumental abilities. Specializing in a throwback sound from the 1970s and ’80s, these guys shine on both classic and original bluegrass.

Mark Hodges of Mountain Fever is clearly enthused about his latest signees.

“In less than a week two prominent members in the bluegrass community reached out to me independently and suggested I have a listen to Magnolia Drive. Listening, it was like hearing the Country Gentlemen or The Lost and Found stepping out on stage again. With their great harmony and superb original songs, they form a unique sound that’s easy to get behind.”

All the members of Magnolia Drive come to the band with decades of experience in the world of bluegrass. They are led by banjo picker and tenor singer Don Robinson, who has been a part of the Gulf Coast music scene for quite some time, working with bluegrass, country, and Gospel groups. He is joined by Steve Nowell on bass and Mike Nowell on guitar, both likewise veterans of the bluegrass who had played together before with Perfect Tymin’. Cory Burton plays mandolin, and started out at the age of ten with his family’s bluegrass act.

Here’s a video taken from their WOB showcase set, one Don wrote called I Won’t Call You.

A new record is nearing completion now, and Mountain Fever expects to have a debut single in March.