Sideline is next on the bluegrass singles hit parade this week, releasing a new track tomorrow, When the Son Rose Up That Morning, the third from their upcoming Mountain Home project for 2021.
The song, written by Rick Lang and Josh Shilling, retells the Easter story in a modal, mid-tempo bluegrass style, and is sung as a duet by Jacob Greer and Zack Arnold. It ends with an eerie a cappella chorus that puts a real exclamation point on the narrative.
Guitarist Skip Cherryholmes says that the arrangement the band put together added an extra challenge for him.
“When we listened to the demo for this song, one of the first things Steve Dilling said was, ‘This is begging for some bluesy slide guitar.’ I had never really messed with a slide too much, but this gave me a reason to sit down and take it seriously, and it added a lot of depth and intensity to the song. I’m a sucker for rhythm, so the real challenge was learning how to maintain my rhythmic foundation while playing foreign chords on a foreign instrument.
The vocal piece at the end was also something different and fun that seemed to fit the soul of the song so well. It’s awesome to be in a group where all 6 members can not only sing, but understand and confidently execute harmonies.”
When The Son Rose Up That Morning is indeed a powerful track, all the more so for people who take the meaning to heart.
Along with Cherryholmes on guitar and Dilling on banjo, Sideline is Jason Moore on bass, Zack Arnold on mandolin, Jacob Greer on guitar, and Jamie Harper on fiddle.
When The Son Rose Up That Morning will be available on March 5 wherever you stream or download music online. Radio programmers can find it now at AirPlay Direct.
