Rounder Records has announced September 14 as the release date for the second CD project from The Steeldrivers. Entitled Reckless, it serves as the swan song for original guitarist/vocalist Chris Stapleton, who left the group shortly after this album was completed.
Gary Nichols has stepped in to fill that spot, but Reckless features not only Chris’ distinctively gritty voice, but his songs as well. All 12 tracks were co-written by Stapleton; 11 with mandolinist Mike Henderson, and the other with Ronnie Bowman.
The rest of the band is intact from its founding: Mike Bailey on banjo, Tammy Rogers on fiddle, Mike Fleming on bass and Henderson on mandolin. Luke Wooten produced the new record, as he did their debut Rounder album from 2008.
There are no audio samples up yet online, but there is a video of the “new guy” singing one of the songs, the almost title track, Reckless Side Of Me.
