Bluegrass may not have much room for the “confessional” approach of many singer/songwriters’ creations, but there’s been a place for what Bill Monroe, the music’s founder, called “true songs” at least since his “Memories of Mother and Dad,” which literally quoted his parents’ tombstones. Perhaps that’s why it’s natural that Mountain Home Music Company’s Gena Britt, an innovator who’s no stranger to tradition, is offering, “He Likes to Fish,” a deeply personal song of her own that is set for release on the eve of Father’s Day.
“I lost my dad back in 2009,” says Britt, whose “day job” is playing banjo and singing with the GRAMMY-nominated Sister Sadie. “And my most cherished and vivid memories are of going fishing with him. I had this idea for a song, and told my friend Katelyn Ingardia about it; it resonated with her too, and she agreed to co-write it with me. She met me in Nashville one weekend when I was doing an all-star show at the Station Inn, and when we sat down to write this song, it just started flowing out of us. We wrote it in just a little over an hour or so.
“There are so many poignant moments in this song, beginning with the opening line talking about dad’s Bronco...My dad actually had an old Bronco that we would take to the coast and fish on the surf. A childhood memory like that is unforgettable. When we finished writing it, Katelyn and I looked at each other and tears were streaming down both our faces. It was in that moment that I knew I had to record this song.”
Gena Britt and her father, fishing. “There are so many poignant moments in this song, beginning with the opening line talking about dad’s Bronco...My dad actually had an old Bronco that we would take to the coast and fish on the surf," Britt notes. That Bronco is pictured on the cover for the single, "He Likes To Fish."
“Once we started recording it,” she adds, “it became even more special. Hearing something like this being brought to life in the studio by some of my favorite people was so heartwarming. Alan Bartram [bass, harmony vocal], Jason Carter [fiddle], John Meador [guitar, harmony vocal] and Jonathan Dillon [mandolin] knew this song meant a lot to me, and they helped me arrange it. It turned out beautifully, and I’m grateful to them all for taking such a heartfelt approach. The addition of Tony Creasman on drums and Jeff Partin’s incredible dobro work was icing on the cake.
“I miss my dad. He was my best friend and we could talk about anything. I hope this tune will reach out and tug on some heartstrings like it did mine. I love it when a song comes from such an authentic place and tells a story, and I believe this one does just that. Oh, and I hope you like to fish.”
"He Likes to Fish" is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
About Gena Britt
Gena Britt grew up in a small town in North Carolina, where she fell in love with the sounds of bluegrass music at a very early age. She is well known for her dynamic and powerful banjo playing, solid acoustic bass playing and heartfelt vocals with spot on harmonies and vocal phrasing. Gena has one of the most respected resumes in the business, with stints in the groundbreaking all-female Petticoat Junction; North Carolina’s New Vintage; Lou Reid & Carolina, and Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, along with work fronting her own Gena Britt Band. In 2012, she helped to found Sister Sadie, the GRAMMY-nominated group with whom she continues to record and perform today.
Gena is the proud recipient of seven IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) awards, beginning with 2001’s Recorded Event of The Year in 2001 for her work on Mark Newton’s multi-artist tribute to women in bluegrass, Follow Me Back To the Fold. Other IBMA honors include Recorded Event of the Year in 2006 for Back to the Well by the Daughters of Bluegrass; Album of the Year in 2006 for her contribution to A Celebration of Life for Musicians Against Childhood Cancer; and, with Sister Sadie, three Vocal Group of the Year Awards (2019, 2020, 2021) along with the organization’s top Entertainer of the Year Award in 2020. She is also the recipient of a Banjo Player of the Year trophy from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music.
Britt also has an extensive discography with the groups she’s been in, as well as solo recordings and, more recently, Sister Sadie. As a top banjo player, her endorsements include Wilson Custom Banjos, Hatfield Banjos, Blue Chip Picks, GHS Strings, Paige Capos, Peterson Tuners, Fishman Pick-Ups, Dr. Arm Banjo Armrests by BANJOLIT and Harrison Straps.
Gena makes her home in eastern North Carolina with her two daughters, with whom she enjoys spending time when not touring.
