Article Contributed by June Reedy
Published on November 1, 2025
The tale of Greensky Bluegrass is still being Shouted, Written Down, and Quoted. It’s an ongoing story that somehow keeps finding new verses. The early 2000s birthed a wave of jamgrass bands, many of whom have come and gone. But Greensky? They’ve stayed the course. Same core lineup, same chemistry only the family has grown wider, warmer, and more firmly rooted.
Their new album, XXV, celebrates 25 years together not with brand new songs, but with reimagined ones. It’s a look backward that feels like forward motion. Like The Nashville Sessions from Leftover Salmon, XXV invites us into a redefined sonic landscape – familiar yet expanded. These are the songs that built Greensky’s legacy, viewed through new eyes and played through new hearts.
Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” That’s exactly why XXV feels like a rediscovery.
A Quarter Century of Songs, Stories, and Shared Stages
These 13 songs trace my own journey with Greensky Bluegrass. I remember seeing them as openers for now-defunct bands like Mountain Standard Time or Strange Arrangement. I’ve watched them on countless festival stages — from the beloved (and now also defunct) Hoxeyville to sold out nights at Red Rocks with Leftover Salmon to small college towns on a Casual Wednesday.
They’ve always shared the stage well. Collaboration has been their language. XXV is a living testament to that. A rising tide lifts all boats, and Greensky’s generosity of spirit has lifted the entire jamgrass community.
Reimagined Collaborations
The album opens with “Can’t Stop Now,” a nod to their roots and a full-circle moment, featuring none other than Sam Bush. Greensky’s version of this New Grass Revival tune has long been a live staple, and hearing it recorded is a true gift to fans.
And of course, no Greensky celebration would be complete without Lindsay Lou. Her rich, emotive harmonies on “In Control” shimmer with renewed energy like a favorite song rediscovered on a new horizon. It’s a reunion of spirits as much as voices.
Then there’s “Reverend,” the band’s cult classic. Fans know the one. They dress for it, chant for it, they live for it. Yet somehow, this anthem had never been officially recorded until now. Featuring Billy Strings, this version feels like a baptism by fire. It’s hard to believe it took 25 years to find its home, but here it is redeemed, recorded, and radiant.
A Festival on an Album
If you’ve ever loved a Greensky show, XXV feels like a festival lineup captured on wax. The guest list alone reads like a celebration of the community they’ve cultivated.
Holly Bowling brings her signature keys to “Last Winter in the Copper Country,” adding a symphonic sweep that transcends genre more “symphonic bluegrass” than anything else.
Then, the surprise of the album for me: Nathaniel Rateliff joins the band on “Past My Prime.” It’s an unexpected pairing, but once you hear it, it makes perfect sense. Paul Hoffman’s lyrical vulnerability meets Rateliff’s soulful gravity. It is a match that feels both natural and new.
“What You Need” brings the party! This song is a funky jam dripping with horns courtesy of Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman. It’s pure joy, bursting with brass and life. As the lyrics ask, “What do you need?” The answer is clearly: more horns.
And just when you think the guest list couldn’t get more stacked, Aoife O’Donovan lends her crystalline vocals to “Lose My Way,” transforming it entirely. Add Ivan Neville on keys, and suddenly the tune travels from the Mitten to New Orleans. While you may mistake those ivories for Holly Bowling, when the organ pipes in you know it’s Ivan Neville. This album is an entire geography of sound in one track. They have transcended the horizon.
The Song That Possesses the Soul
For me, the centerpiece is “Windshield.” Always has been. This song has followed me through years, through heartbreaks and healings, and it remains one of the most powerful pieces of songwriting in the modern Americana world for me.
Nothing can replace the original, but this new version feels timeless as a summation of everything Greensky has become. Holly’s chords swell and hold while Phoff’s words break and mend the heart. This version stands alone.
There’s a secret in the basement – you can feel it through the floor. I don’t think this heart can take the weight of deception anymore.
It’s that sacred release that moves through your whole body, every time. This song cannot be possessed even though it is my most prized possession. CRY OUT IN HELPLESS AGONY!
Still the Same Band You Can Count On
“Drink Up and Go Home” closes the album. My one critique is that I feel there are not enough of Bruzza’s vocals. This would have been that opportunity. The band has traded their wings for wheels and we’ll ride along till the wheels fall off!
His warm grit anchors so many of my favorite GSBG moments. If he sang, “Don’t give me no trouble, I’ve got enough of my own,” it would feel like a toast to every working soul just trying to get by.
A Toast to 25 Years
XXV isn’t just an anniversary record, it’s a love letter to the fans, the friends, and the music itself. It’s a celebration of a band that never stops evolving, never stops collaborating, and never stops feeling like family. Thank you.
In a genre built on improvisation and impermanence, Greensky Bluegrass has managed to make one thing permanent: connection.
It’s one thing to write good songs. It’s another to keep evolving them for 25 years – together. Greensky Bluegrass has done both. Through every album, tour, and late-night jam, their core has stayed the same. That constancy, that reliability, is rare. In a world that keeps changing, Greensky is something you can count on.
Happy 25th Anniversary Greensky Bluegrass! Cheers!
