Article Contributed by Mountain Home Music Company
Published on 2026-09-25
Back with their first new music since the early summer collection Chalk Lines and Dust, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers serve up another gentle life lesson on their latest Mountain Home Music Company single, “See It Now.”
“This is our second release of a song that I’ve co-written with John McCutcheon,” notes Jones, referring to Chalk Lines and Dust’s duet with Jim Lauderdale, “How Small of Me.”
“It’s a song in praise of flip-flopping, or looking at it in a more positive light: it’s a song about coming to a different viewpoint after reflecting and taking a deeper look. Maybe that’s something we should all do more often. This one felt really good in the studio, and it was a pleasure to have Carley Arrowood back in to join us. We love what she contributed to the song.”
Indeed, labelmate Arrowood’s fiddle plays a prominent role alongside veteran Night Driver Mark Stoffel’s mandolin as they take turns backing Jones’ resonant vocals and punctuating them with typically elegant solos that float over the relaxed rhythm section of Nelson Williams’ bass and Grace van’t Hof’s unique baritone ukulele.
The gentle yet insistent pace and flowing chord structure underline the philosophical bent of the reflective lyric:
I played the hand that I was dealt, it was all I knew
But somehow it always felt like I’d missed a thing or two
When it turned out I was right, I wasn’t certain where to turn
Not everything is black and white, if you’re brave enough to learnSometimes it takes a deeper look around you
Maybe ask the why and not just see the how
No it may not be the way I saw it yesterday
But it’s the way I see it now.
In a field where traditional, often nostalgic themes and sounds abound, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers have taken a different approach, blending the depth of a singer-songwriter with the wide-ranging musicality of bluegrass musicians to deliver music that engages listeners’ minds as much as their ears.
“See It Now” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to the single here.
Whether it’s in the studio or on stage, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers are making some of the most distinctively elegant yet driving music to be heard anywhere today, and they’re delivering it with a unique blend of dry wit, emotional authenticity and broad humor that has won the loyalty of a growing number of fans across the country, from MerleFest in North Carolina to California’s Huck Finn Jubilee, and around the world.
Steve Martin referred to the Night Drivers as “. . . some of the best players in bluegrass! Chris Jones’ voice is there with the great masters.” Americana artist Jim Lauderdale said of Chris, “He continues to have one of the most distinctive and best voices in music, period.”
The band—which features Mark Stoffel on mandolin, Grace van’t Hof on banjo and ukulele, and Nelson Williams on bass—is led by Chris’ soulful lead singing, songwriting, and solid rhythm and lead guitar. Chris boasts extensive performance credits as a sideman with artists including Lynn Morris, Vassar Clements, Special Consensus, Dave Evans, Earl Scruggs and the acclaimed Irish band The Chieftains.
Altogether, members of Chris Jones & The Night Drivers have won more than a dozen IBMA awards and recorded more than 25 No. 1 songs. The Night Drivers also bring name recognition in related fields, as bluegrass fans are familiar with Jones for his award-winning work as a SiriusXM DJ on both Bluegrass Junction and Willie’s Roadhouse.
For more information, visit chrisjonesgrass.com.
