Rounder Records will release new albums by Grammy-winning bluegrass band The Earls of Leicester and Boston bluegrass ensemble The Lonely Heartstring Band this summer.
Scheduled for July 15, Rattle & Roar is the follow-up to the Earls’ self-titled debut, which inspired critical accolades and earned a Grammy award for Best Bluegrass Album. The band also went on to win six International Bluegrass Music Association awards, including the coveted Album of the Year and Entertainer of the Year honors.
With Rattle & Roar, the Earls — Barry Bales, Shawn Camp, Charlie Cushman, Jerry Douglas, Johnny Warren, and Jeff White — have conjured up a fresh batch of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs songs, including “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town” and “All I Want Is You.” The project was produced by Douglas. The band will perform at MerleFest, Stagecoach, DelFest and many other festivals this year.
The Lonely Heartstring Band is set to release their debut album, Deep Waters, on June 3. It was co-produced by The Lonely Heartstring Band and David Travers-Smith, with co-production by Gary Paczosa on the tracks “Graceland” and “The Road’s Salvation.”
Four of the five band members of The Lonely Heartstring Band met while students at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. They are the winners of the 2015 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Award, and feature Charles Clements (bass & vocals), George Clements (guitar & lead vocals), Gabe Hirshfeld (banjo), Patrick M’Gonigle (fiddle, vocals), and Matt Witler (mandolin).
The band unites traditional bluegrass with contemporary songwriting, and has already earned praise from respected members of the bluegrass community. Banjo legend Tony Trischka says, “These Heartstring Boys have carved out a fresh niche in modern bluegrass. They adhere to the traditional format but take everything two steps forward. Their roots are clear and so is their path to the future. They’re in a class by themselves.”
