Tim Shelton comes back to bluegrass with Tim Shelton Syndicate

Tim Shelton first came to prominence in bluegrass when NewFound Road hit the scene back in 2001. With Tim out front as lead singer, the band recorded three albums for Mountain Home Music, and three more for Rounder before largely disbanding in 2013. Their first albums had a Gospel focus, but their repertoire expanded to include secular material over the first few records.

Throughout their tenure as an active group, a number of members came and went, but Tim’s expressive baritone voice was the constant, earning him a reputation as among the strongest vocalists in our genre.

Though NewFound Road has done regular reunion shows in the intervening years, Tim shut the door last year to concentrate on new projects, which have included a part time group called Sailor Street, with Tim Stafford and Heidi and Ryan Greer, plus a big band show he tours with over the holiday season. His new primary career is as a podcaster, and his Tim Shelton Podcast has found a ready audience for his brand of online talk radio, discussing bluegrass music, contemporary life, and other subjects of interest.

But the bluegrass bug still sings its siren song, and Shelton is bitten yet again. He has responded with a new group, which he calls the Tim Shelton Syndicate, which is formed to let him scratch that itch, with a number of experienced bluegrass veterans. The band includes Tim on guitar, his former NFR bandmate Joe Booher on mandolin, Jared Hensley on banjo and guitar, and Travis Anderson on bass.

The plan is to fix their minds on both new and classic bluegrass, through a contemporary lens. A number of live shows are already booked for the latter part of 2019, and Tim is currently accepting dates for 2020 and beyond.

Nothing has been recorded yet, but Shelton shared these two brief video clips from a recent rehearsal to give a taste of their sound.

It’s clear that Tim hasn’t lost a step as a bluegrass singer.

More details about the Tim Shelton Syndicate can be found online, including how to contact them for bookings.

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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 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.