Article Contributed by Mountain Home Music Company
Published on 2026-10-23
Award-winning husband-and-wife duo Benson—Wayne and Kristin Scott Benson—join forces with their friends from just up the mountains, Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth, on their new single, “When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough.” The pair first heard and fell in love with Maura O’Connell’s rendition of the song; for their version, they “bluegrassify” the track while preserving its sadness and melancholy, with Woody and Shannon, another husband-and-wife duo, singing lead and harmony vocals.
“We were so lucky to have Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth sing this song as a duet,” Wayne shares. “I felt like they retained the sadness of this song, even though we sped it up and delivered it in a traditional bluegrass context. You have to be careful doing that, but they sang it mournfully, which is what the lyrics called for.”
The plaintive song, written by Jim Lauderdale and Leslie Satcher, works remarkably well with the bluegrass treatment, with Wayne on mandolin, Kristin on banjo, Cody Kilby on guitar, and Kevin McKinnon on bass. While the genre’s cheeriness is regarded as a foundational aspect of bluegrass, Benson, together with Woody and Shannon, deliver on the song’s emotional depth even with the single’s bubbly, bluegrassy tone.
“I've heard people say that when you can arrange a song about any way possible and it still works, you know it's great,” says Kristin. “This cut is drastically different from the original, but it still works. It's a sad message of defeat from someone who has tried as hard as they can. They're not mad or hurt anymore, they're just done. Jim Lauderdale and Leslie Satcher are incredibly special writers and they sure got this one right.”
In their recordings together, Benson always show an intuitive knack for song curation—and for drawing on their community of peers, pickers, neighbors, and collaborators to make each track shine. “When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough” is just the latest example of this phenomenon, while their latest prior single, “First and Forevers,” makes repeat appearances on the Bluegrass Today charts for the very same reasons.
Together, the two husband-and-wife duos deliver “When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough” impeccably, with depth, heart, and virtuosity.
The song is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it here.
About Benson
Benson is a collaborative effort between two of bluegrass music's most treasured instrumentalists: Wayne and Kristin Scott Benson. With decades of experience in top-tier bands, both have established themselves as stalwarts in the community. After years of paving separate musical paths, the two finally decided it was time to integrate their identities and create something new together. Benson is their first combined effort, despite having been married for over 20 years.
Wayne Benson is a 25-year veteran of the seven-time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. He is on the short list of mandolin players who have signature models with Gibson Musical Instruments.
Kristin Scott Benson is a six-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and recipient of the Steve Martin Award for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo. She has been a member of the GRAMMY-nominated Grascals since 2008.
