Tidalwave Road to Pinecastle Records

Pinecastle Records has announced the signing of Kentucky’s Tidalwave Road to the label, with an EP of new, original bluegrass set for release next month.

The group came to wider attention last summer when they won the SamJam Festival Band Competition, the prize for which was three days at Pinecastle’s Bonfire Studio in South Carolina. Music recorded during that period makes up the EP, which they sensibly titled, The Bonfire Sessions.

Those sessions also convinced Pinecastle to sign Tidalwave Road, according to CEO Ethan Burkhardt.

“We’re excited to welcome Tidalwave Road to the Pinecastle family. They initially caught our attention when they were in our studio after winning the band competition at SamJam last year. They have a unique sound and we’re excited to introduce them to everyone in the national scene.”

At the same time as the signing announcement, Pinecastle has released a first single from the EP, one written by banjo player Ben Parker called Time and Money. The lyrics tell of the consumer grind where you find yourself working constantly to afford a lifestyle you really don’t care about, all to win the approval of a romantic partner that you’re unsure of as well.

Along with Parker on banjo, Tidalwave Road includes Carlie Parker on mandolin, Daniel Parker on bass, and Robert Sulfridge on guitar.

Have a listen to Time and Money

Tidalwave Road is currently back in the studio finishing up a full length project for Pinecastle to follow The Bonfire Sessions. The EP is set for a May 15 release.

Speaking jointly of seeing all this happen for them in such a short time, the band shared this statement:

“We all grew up listening to bluegrass music played on the porches of every house in every holler throughout Whitley County, Kentucky. Our love for the music runs deep and has been passed down through the generations.

It is surreal for us to go from entering, and then winning, a band competition to recording music with Steve Wilson, hiring an agent, and now signing with Pinecastle Records. We feel like we grew a whole new family, and we commit to them and to our fans, to continue to bring the same fire and passion to everything we have always done and then-some.

We are so grateful for this opportunity!”

For now, Time and Money is available from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers at AirPlay Direct.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.