Mountain Heart’s "Blue Skies" Debuts At #2 On The Billboard Bluegrass Album Chart

Mountain Heart’s first new album in five years, Blue Skies, debuted at #2 on The Billboard Bluegrass Album chart.  Blue Skies find Mountain Heart completely reinventing themselves with a brand new lineup featuring frontman Josh Shilling, Molly Cherryholmes (of 5-time Grammy-nominees Cherryholmes), Jeff Partin, Aaron Ramsey, and Seth Taylor.   The new album has been met with critical praise with Rolling Stone Country stating “Though no original members remain, the new Mountain Heart manages to straddle the line between complete reinvention and staying true to their roots - there’s a palpable electric current running through ‘Blue Skies,’ while still maintaining the relaxed, festival-ready pulse they’ve become known for over the course of more than a decade.” No Depression said “...the prospects for widespread appeal are sunny indeed.”  
 
Shilling, barely into his 30s, is the group’s senior both in age and tenure.  A sought after songwriter, he wrote most of the material appearing on Blue Skies, with a Chris Stapleton & Ronnie Bowman co-write and a stellar rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm” rounding out the set.  The same soulfulness that gave the band its name in the first place is still there, but now voiced through a blend of musicians that make room not just for their bluegrass legacy, but for the excitement of R&B, the introspection of singer/songwriter ballads, the simplicity of classic country, and the atmospherics of modern folk pop.  The 10-song set was produced by the band and was cut live to tape without edits or studio trickery.
 
The group’s pool of talent has been profoundly deep and rich since it’s inception and the new configuration allowed Shilling the opportunity to handpick his favorite musicians on the planet.  Every member of the new Mountain Heart could be considered a lead singer and are also multi-instrumentalists, which makes the possibilities both onstage and in the studio limitless.  Shilling states, “Imagine being in a band full of producers, and sought-after songwriters, session players, and singers!  It’s a dream come true musically speaking.  This reinvention and the time between our last record has allowed us the creative space to create the best batch of songs we’ve ever released.”  

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