If you know one thing about Alex Leach, it’s likely to be that he likes his music the old time way. From when he launched his radio career at WDVX as a teenager, to the years he spent playing banjo with Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys, his love for the mountain sound and the legacy of Ralph Stanley has been in evidence.
Now touring with his own Alex Leach Band, that fondness for the ways of the past is as clear as ever, with Friday’s release of the first single from his upcoming Mountain Home Music project, Take The Long Way Home. It’s one that he wrote with his wife, and singing partner, Miranda, while they were out for a drive.
“I remember when Miranda first started writing it and thinking how catchy it was. What started as a chorus recorded in Miranda’s song notes became a full song written while we were out together for a countryside picnic. It was truly an effort written by us together.”
Miranda remembers the day well.
“The tune came to me while I was taking a long drive back home to clear my mind. I was aiming to get some things out of my head and this song popped in instead. By the time I’d gotten home from a 25 minute drive, the chorus had been written.”
The Leaches are supported by their touring group, JT Coleman on bass, Joshua Gooding on mandolin, and Brandon Masur on banjo. John Rigsby appears as a guest on fiddle.
Jim Lauderdale produced this debut project for the band, and sees great success ahead for them.
“I love Alex’s writing, picking and singing, and I think Take The Long Way Home is a new classic. The Alex Leach Band really shines and shows how great they are together on this one. It’s a perfect intro to what is yet to come off of this album — a taste of what you can look forward to hearing in the future.”
Take The Long Way Home will be available on Friday (5/15) wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can get it now at AirPlay Direct.
