Out Today: Mountain Heart's Blue Skies

Courtesy: Missing Piece Group

(Press Release) Mountain Heart have released their first studio album in five years, Blue Skies, today via Compass Records.  Blue Skies find Mountain Heart completely reinventing themselves without a single founding member.  Frontman Josh Shilling is the only member previously featured on a Mountain Heart release with their final arrival, violinist Molly Cherryholmes (of 5-time Grammy-nominees Cherryholmes) joining just weeks before studio sessions were to begin.  Jeff Partin, Aaron Ramsey, and Seth Taylor complete the new lineup.  The 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.”  Pop Matters stated, “...we are talking about great Southern music here, underpinned with virtuosic musicianship full of heart and soul” while No Depression said “...the prospects for widespread appeal are sunny indeed.”  Blue Skies can now be heard in its entirety via the All Music Guide.

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​ 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.
 
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 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.”  
 
Mountain Heart will are also bringing their new lineup on the road in support of the album release.  The tour begins this evening in Toledo, OH (please see dates below) and while Mountain Heart have appeared on the Grand Ole Opry over 130 times, the tour will also feature the debut Opry appearance from the new lineup of the band in Nashville on May 21st.  Shilling states, “Our love and passion for each other and the music we create is transparent on and off stage.  We live our lives doing what we love while making lifelong memories every night with our friends and supporters around the world. What more could we possibly ask for?"