Article Contributed by Ariel Rosemberg
Published on January 16, 2026
Grammy-nominated Yonder Mountain String Band set the tone for a new way forward in acoustic music, carrying bluegrass into rooms and conversations it had never reached before. Nearly three decades later, that same spirit still guides them, alive and present on Good As True (2026), the band’s 12th studio album. The record is unguarded and in motion, capturing Yonder in full stride, preserving their spark playing in real time, and leaning into everything they’ve learned along the way.
Good As True is due out March 27. Digital pre-saves available here while vinyl is available for pre-order on the band’s website.
Alongside today’s announcement, the band shares lead single “Brand New Heartache,” a song that captures the fragile moment after a breakup, when loss and forward motion exist at the same time. Musically, it’s built on rock-leaning verses and a bluegrass-lifted chorus, shaped in part by a period of deep listening to Tom Petty after he passed.
“Brand New Heartache” is out now on all streaming platforms, along with a new animated lyric video by Dave Razor.
At the core of Good As True is an instinct that has guided Yonder Mountain String Band since the beginning. “We’ve always believed in sharing the music we’re making, even if it doesn’t fit any prescribed category,” says Adam Aijala. “We’re writing songs as the ideas come to us, not going in with an intention.” Dave Johnston adds, “we’re driven to write music and we’re driven to share it, that’s the constant.”
That mindset has remained firm even as the band has evolved. Individually idiosyncratic and musically distinct, in their early Nederland, Colorado years, the members came to trust that these differences were actually something to lean into and trust. And what came of that musically would ultimately help shape a sound that emerged organically.
Founding members Adam Aijala, Ben Kauffman and Dave Johnston continue to push the project forward alongside Nick Piccininni, who’s been with the band six years and has co-written the previous two records, and newest addition Coleman Smith on fiddle. It’s a true blend of history with a fresh perspective.
Across the record, Yonder movies fluidly between drive, harmony and space. Songs are shaped by the road, by experimental live moments and by trust built through decades of live experience. The album closes with “Barroom Feather,” a 16-minute track recorded live in the studio, an unbroken jam that captures the band exactly as they are now.
Yonder Mountain String Band has built a catalog defined by albums that reflect where they are now and a community that has grown alongside them. Good As True leans into that tradition, as they continue following the music wherever it leads.
Good As True Tracklist:
Brand New Heartache (3:40)
Long Ride (2:43)
The Lie (5:29)
Barroom Feather (Radio Edit) (3:44)
Blind (3:20)
Nothing New (4:14)
One to One Another (1:52)
Always Almost (4:52)
Barroom Feather (16:46)
Catch Yonder Mountain String Band on the road in 2026:
Jan 16–17 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House
Jan 22 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings in the Mountains (Strings Music Pavilion)
Jan 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Grand at The Complex
Jan 30–31 – Berkeley, CA – The Freight
Feb 5 – Utica, NY – Stanley Theatre
Feb 6 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Universal Preservation Hall
Feb 7 – Westerly, RI – United Theatre
Feb 8 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
Feb 13 – Germantown, TN – Germantown Performing Arts Center
Feb 14 – Owensboro, KY – Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Feb 15 – Grayslake, IL – James Lumber Center
Feb 17 – Cleveland, OH – Music Box Supper Club
Feb 18 – Harrisburg, PA – XL Live
Feb 19–20 – Vienna, VA – The Barns at Wolf Trap
Feb 21 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
Feb 27 – Milwaukee, WI – The Cooperage
Feb 28 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
Mar 14 – Panama City, FL – Bluegrass by the Bay (McKenzie Park)
Mar 15 – Largo, FL – Central Park Performing Arts Center
Mar 18 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
Mar 19 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
Mar 20–21 – Whitestown, IN – Moontown Brewing
Mar 26 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
Mar 27 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
Mar 28 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Music Festival
Apr 2 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Lounge
Apr 3 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
Apr 4 – Seattle, WA – Nectar Lounge
Apr 16 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler
Apr 17 – Houston, TX – Heights Theater
Apr 18 – Fredericksburg, TX – Luckenbach Bluegrass Festival
Apr 23 – Gainesville, FL – Heartwood Outdoors
Apr 24 – Jacksonville, FL – Intuition Ale Works
Apr 25 – Tallahassee, FL – Opening Nights at FSU (Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park)
May 1 – Anchorage, AK – Atwood Concert Hall
May 2 – Fairbanks, AK – Hering Auditorium
May 15 – Aztec, NM – Tico Time
May 30 – Ogden, UT – Ogden Music Festival
For more information, tour dates and updates, visit www.yondermountain.com
