Trailhead Records has released a debut single from a new project from Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road.
Bluegrass fans remember Liam when he first appeared as the teen leader of a very young Cane Mill Road several years ago. They wowed at World of Bluegrass as a showcase artist, and were named as Momentum Band of the Year in 2019. Then came college, and the various members of the group went their separate ways.
But Liam never stopped working on his music, something he demonstrated last summer when he traveled from his home in North Carolina to Lyons, CO for the RockyGrass festival, where he took first place in their banjo, guitar, and mandolin competitions.
Cane Mill Road is now reformed, with a far more mature sound. They spent most of this past winter writing and recording new music for this next album. With Purcell on mandolin, the band also features Jacob Smith on bass, Sam Stage on fiddle, Colton Kerchner on banjo, and Rob McCormac on guitar.
Liam shared a few words about the single, Uncle Lloyd, which looks at the pains of adulthood from the perspective of someone much younger.
“The song was written by Darrell Scott, and paints a picture of a somewhat familiar character for many of us. A man who is rebuilding his life and is down on his luck, seen through the eyes of a teenager. The melody is catchy while the progression uses about every chord in the books.
We really loved the down-to-earth writing, and felt like the story was something folks could relate to. Colton Kerchner takes a banjo part that sounds like a pedal steel at times, while Sam Stage’s lonesome fiddle accents the storytelling. The song is also in a different groove than a lot of our other tunes, with Rob and Jacob holding down the beat.”
It’s hard to believe that this is the same singer we heard four years ago. Have a listen…
Uncle Lloyd from Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.
