Owensboro’s bluegrass band Kentucky Shine will host a launch party and autograph signing for their new EP “Leavin ‘Town” at the Woodward Theater at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum at 7pm tonight.
Known for their roots in traditional bluegrass, while exploring other genres of blues and funk, the band are thrilled and impressed to perform at an establishment that is true to what they do best.
“It’s kind of amazing, honestly,” guitarist Jordan Wood said. “I moved from Muhlenberg County to Owensboro in 2018 and I didn’t think I would play music for a living or anything, or even start a band. that time the museum opened … and just over that first year, I got to see Town Mountain, Del McCoury, The Wooks, The Infamous Stringdusters – all these kinds of people on this same stage as us. are going to play. … Now we can have our own show at the theater …. “
“Leavin ‘Town,” the six-track project, marks the band’s first major studio effort after their debut single “Green River,” which also appeared on the record, in May.
The record explores Wood’s journey from home, grief, new beginnings, his return to Muhlenberg County, while also featuring instrumental music with time signatures and ‘crazy’ chord changes. , and a cover of Bill Monroe’s 1946 song “Kentucky Waltz”, of which the band is “extremely proud”.
“First of all, it looks like there aren’t a ton of bluegrass fans in this particular part of the state, especially those who record music,” Wood said. “It felt good to record a song from ‘The Father of Bluegrass’ that was credited to that part of the state. I… feel like on all of our future albums it would be cool to record at least one Bill Monroe song for each project.
Wood notes that the recording was made in an effort to bring them to a larger audience and to consider a specific gig they wanted to book.
“We kind of put it in place… to have something out there to get our names known at festivals and venues,” Wood said. “There is a program through PBS in Lexington called ‘Woodsongs’ and they require some kind of studio copy as part of the app to be part of the program.”
However, the group mutually agreed to release it to the public in June and planned to have this show around the same time, but were postponed due to scheduling conflicts and their involvement in other Bluegrass events. Music Hall of Fame & Museum such as ROMP.
The group, which consists of Wood, violinist Steven Stewart, bassist JB Miller, banjo player Jordan Riehm and newly appointed mandolinist Cody Beck, who played violin for Bowling Green band The Josephines, are known to many. for his energetic stage presence. . Wood ensures that the same vibe is reflected in their recorded material, even though they were in unfamiliar territory.
“We recorded all of the lead vocals and all of the instrument breaks live,” said Wood. “Most of that part… it felt like we were playing normally. It was weird being in a studio because I’ve never seen a studio, let alone recorded in one. We were all in our own little cabins and couldn’t see each other or anything, but we could get along. It was a little weird at times, but we ended up letting go and having fun with it.
With the addition of Beck, Wood is hopeful that audiences like what he sees, especially as the band changes the way they usually play.
“We want them to come away satisfied for sure,” said Wood. “We’re trying a different setup, because we normally use a whole condenser mic in our midst. … (But), the more we are, the more difficult it is to work around a microphone. So we’re going to use a totally different setup – just use individual microphones for everything. But, we’re definitely going to have fun dealing with it. “
But Wood promises the band’s charm and humor will remain intact.
“(It’ll be) pretty much the same as usual – just a lot of fun energy. We love to joke around and cut out on stage,” said Wood. “We love to make jokes about our banjo player. new there.
The property states that face masks at the concert are recommended, but
