The Stevens Family bluegrass band from West Virginia has reached that point which signals the end of their touring career. Like so many other like family groups, it is the point where the younger members are ready to pursue career goals that conflict with a family band.
Patriarch and banjo picker J.W. Stevens posted the following notice recently on their agency’s web site, Graham Talent Group, announcing the end of their journey in bluegrass Gospel.
“It is with bittersweet emotions that I come to you our friends and fans of The Stevens Family. Bitter that we will no longer be touring as a full time family band. The sweet part is that Luke, the guitarist, and Ben, the mandolinist have signaled that they wish to go further into the ministry of the Lord Jesus. As their parents we are elated for their commitment to the Lord but saddened that we won’t be playing for our favorite people, bluegrass friends and fans.
We want to thank all of the promoters that have given The Stevens Family the opportunity to stand before you and share our music.We want to say a special ‘Thank You’ to our agent, Randy Graham for his many countless hours of service to the furtherance of our mission.
It has been a good run for the past 14 years and lots of good memories have been made.
Please continue to keep The Stevens Family in your thoughts and prayers as we all endeavor to journey on down this road called Life.”
Fans and friends can leave notes and well wishes on their Facebook page.
UPDATE 9:30 a.m. – Eldest sister Sissy Stevens has announced that she will be auditioning members for a new, all-female bluegrass band. Sissy will play bass and is seeking ladies to handle guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle. She can be reached through Facebook.
Family bands are nothing new in bluegrass music, although in recent years it seems the focus has been on siblings who have shown musical prowess at a young age, rather than on the entire family unit. West Virginia’s The Stevens Family takes a slightly more traditional approach to their band. The group, which recently released their first album for Mountain Fever Records (and third overall), entitled Down on the Farm, consists of J.W. and Nancy “Mamma” Stevens, and five of their ten children, ranging in age from teens to thirties: Laura “Sissy,” Ben, Luke, Sam, and Tommy.
Various members of the Stevens family have performed together singing Gospel music for several decades, but they didn’t officially make their debut as a touring bluegrass group until 2007. With Down on the Farm, they show off their musical skills quite well, offering listeners an enjoyable mixture of contemporary bluegrass and traditional Gospel music. The family pulls from a variety of well-known songwriters and songs on this twelve-track collection, and offers two original numbers.
The first original, written by upright bassist and vocalist Sissy, is the album’s opening number and title track. It’s a nice, cheerful example of a “home” song, reflecting on her family and growing up in the mountains of West Virginia. Sissy has an honest, clear voice, and it’s well-suited to this song. Sissy also takes the lead on Here Comes That Feeling Again, a Craig Market/Brandon Rickman song that Rickman recorded on his solo project a few years back. Here, it’s a fine slice of contemporary bluegrass, and Sissy’s vocals add to the lonesome feel of the song.
The second family original is a driving, banjo-guided number called She’s the One written by Luke, the family’s guitarist. It has a bit of a different feel than the rest of the album, with some fiery instrumental work and a modern traditional sound, largely due to lead vocals from mandolin player Ben. It shares the familiar story of a singer on the road hoping to get back home to the one he loves.
In a nod to the family’s roots in Gospel music and dad, J.W.’s, role as a pastor, the family includes several Gospel songs in the middle of the album. Mama Stevens sings lead on two of these, showing off a great old-timey Gospel vocal style. City of Gold is an upbeat, traditional number about the wonders awaiting Christians in heaven. Search the Book is a classic Gospel song which finds the singer dreaming of arriving at heaven’s gates and learning that good deeds aren’t what get us inside. Three of the Stevens brothers (Tommy, Luke, and Ben) provide some fine harmonies on the old Bluegrass Cardinals song Where Rainbows Touch Down, written by Randall Hylton, and is one of the best tracks here. The family’s version of Ron Block’s A Living Prayer is also quite enjoyable, though it has more of a Gospel style than Alison Krauss’ version does.
Though they’ve only recently began to tour outside their regional area, The Stevens Family are poised to gain notice with this release. J.W. (banjo), Sissy (bass), Ben (mandolin), Luke (guitar), and Sam (fiddle) are all skilled musicians, and all the family members contribute fine vocals. Fans of straightforward contemporary bluegrass and Gospel music will likely enjoy Down on the Farm.
For more information on The Stevens Family, visit their website at www.stevensfamilybluegrass.com. Their new album is available from a variety of music retailers.
They were followed by the Goldwing Express and the Primitive Quartet.
The show rounded out with the Gibson Brothers, the Seldom Scene, and the Dry Branch Fire Squad.
Saturday will feature Cody Schuler and Pine Mountain Railroad, The Dry Branch Fire Squad, The Little Roy and Lizzy Show, Marty Raybon and Full Circle, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, and capped off by the legendary Gene Watson.
The Stevens Family made the hop across the mountain this week from West Virginia to southwest Virginia and the studios at Mountain Fever Records. There they signed a deal with the label and started work on a new album.
Bass player Sissy sent along some photos from the studio as they were signing their contract, and laying down tracks for their Down On The Farm project. The rest of the family are her dad, J.W. on banjo, and mom Nancy on vocals, with brothers Luke on guitar, Ben on mandolin, Sam on fiddle, and Tommy on vocals.
Find out more about The Stevens Family and their music online.
The Stevens Family Bluegrass Band, from Berkeley Springs, WV, have a total of four CDs, but are especially excited now about their new single, Down On The Farm, produced by Don Rigsby.
The song was written and sung by Sissy Stevens, who plays bass with her family’s band. Her parents J.W. (banjo) and Nancy (vocals) lead the group, along with their other children Luke (guitar), Ben (mandolin), Sam (fiddle) and Tommy (vocals).
Down On The Farm tells a story familiar in the bluegrass world, living the rural life with hard work and family at the center. It’s a story that Sissy knows well. J.W. is a trapper in the mountains where they live, and Nancy raises chickens. Sissy runs a produce stand where she sells her mom’s fresh eggs, organic fruits, honey, juices and other natural products. The Stevenses also host bluegrass jams at the market, and folks in the part of West Virginia visit regularly to pick and sing, or just have a listen.
Here’s a taste of the new single.
Radio programmers can download the single now from Airplay Direct. For more details about The Stevens Family, contact their representatives at the Graham Talent Agency.
