Article Contributed by Yep Roc Records
Published on 2026-05-24
Steep Canyon Rangers’ 'Next Act' Out Now
Steep Canyon Rangers’ Next Act, the 15th studio album from the GRAMMY Award-winning bluegrass and Americana group, is out today on Yep Roc Records.
The album marks a return to the band’s bluegrass roots and features guest appearances by Steve Martin, Edie Brickell, and Celia Woodsmith. Listen here.
High praise for Next Act:
“The album incorporates their compelling songwriting, strong vocals, and instrumentals that, when played live, seem to channel instruments not even present on stage.” – No Depression
“...a return to their bluegrass roots and reclaiming the music that first shaped them, equally informed by the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont Plateau.” – Uncut
“...their 15th album, bluegrass back to taking centre stage…” – Record Collector (4-stars)
“…a treat for all bluegrass fans…Steep Canyon Rangers have produced something special.” – Americana UK
“It marks a return to the foundations that first set the group up for success.” – The Bluegrass Situation
“…grounded in bluegrass storytelling and warm, acoustic instrumentation. Next Act leans into its roots with a laid-back, lived-in sound that invites repeat listens.” – Grateful Web
“...celebrates their roots, and also sets the stage for moving forward with Next Act.” – Twangville
In support of Next Act, the band will be on the road bringing their bluegrass sound to theaters, festivals, and performing arts centers across the country. The extensive tour includes a series of dates with Steve Martin & Martin Short, appearances on The Grand Ole Opry and Mountain Stage, and festivals including Big Ponderoo Music + Art Festival, RockyGrass, and the 20th Annual Mountain Song Festival, curated by the band and spanning two days. A list of tour dates is below, and tickets are now available here.
Recorded by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC, and produced by Mike Ashworth and the band, Next Act marks a return to their bluegrass roots, reclaiming the music that shaped them and creating an album that honors tradition while writing new chapters within it. The album features guest appearances by Steve Martin, Edie Brickell, and Celia Woodsmith of Della Mae.
Previously released tracks from the album include “Roll of the Dice,” “Rumble Strips,” “Heart’s the Only Compass (feat. Steve Martin),” the title track, “Next Act,” and “Circling the Drain.”
Formed in North Carolina and shaped by both the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont, Steep Canyon Rangers—Graham Sharp (banjo, vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin/mandola, vocals), Aaron Burdett (guitar, vocals), Nicky Sanders (fiddle, vocals), Mike Ashworth (drums, dobro, guitar, vocals), and Barrett Smith (bass, guitar, vocals)—have spent more than 25 years carving out a distinctive place in American roots music. From the beginning, the band has balanced a respect for bluegrass tradition with contemporary songwriting shaped by literary influence, regional storytelling, and live experience.
Over their career, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductees have released 14 studio albums, a live album, three collaborative albums with Steve Martin, earned three GRAMMY nominations, and a Best Bluegrass Album win for Nobody Knows You in 2013. Their first live album of original material, 2024’s Live at Greenfield Lake, earned the band another No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums Chart, tying Old Crow Medicine Show for the most Bluegrass chart-topping albums in the chart’s history.
Steep Canyon Rangers Tour Dates
May 23
Kerrville, TX
Kerrville Folk Festival
May 28-29
Mills River, NC
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
June 12
Nashville, TN
Grand Ole Opry
June 13
Galax, VA
The Blue Ridge Music Center
June 14
Charleston, WV
Mountain Stage
June 26
Astoria, OR
Liberty Theater
June 27
Sisters, OR
Big Ponderoo Music + Art Festival
July 3
Lexington, KY
The Burl
July 4
Garrettsville, OH
Nelson Ledges Quarry Park Grassfire Festival
July 10
Dayton, OH
Levitt Pavilion Dayton
July 11
Roanoke, VA
5PTS Outdoors at The Dog Bowl
July 23
Reno, NV
Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater
July 25
Lyons, CO
RockyGrass
July 27
Ogden, UT
Ogden Amphitheater
August 21
Brownfield, ME
Stone Mountain Arts Center
August 22
Boothbay Harbor, ME
The Opera House
August 23
Rockport, MA
Sharlin Liu Performance Center
August 27
Isle of Palms, SC
Windjammer
August 28
Savannah, GA
Victory North Savannah
August 29
Raleigh, NC
Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard
September 5
Fayetteville, WV
The Outpost New River Gorge
September 11-12
Brevard, NC
Mountain Song Festival
September 19
Washington, DC
DAR Constitution Hall*
September 20
Hershey, PA
Hershey Theatre*
October 11
Des Moines, IA
Des Moines Civic Center*
October 16
Orinda, CA
Siesta Valley Bowl
October 18
Grass Valley, CA
Strawberry Music Festival
November 7
Atlantic City, NJ
Ocean Casino Resort*
November 13
Milwaukee, WI
Miller High Life Theatre*
November 14
Minneapolis, MN
Orpheum Theatre*
December 4
North Charleston, SC
North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center*
December 5
Columbia, SC
Township Auditorium*
January 17
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
String Break Cruise: Music Festival at Sea 2027
February 19
Tomball, TX
Main Street Crossing
* w/ Steve Martin & Martin Short
