Missy Raines & Allegheny announce the release of their new album Love & Trouble out today on Compass Records. Working again with producer Alison Brown, the new album showcases a band at the peak of its powers on an inspired set which includes re-workings of traditional songs, contemporary covers and Missy Raines' originals.
Following on the heels of 2024's Highlander, the new project firmly establishes Missy Raines & Allegheny as one of the most vibrant bands on the bluegrass scene. Talking about the new project, Missy says: "We had lots of shows under our belt and there was an overwhelming feeling of connection you can only get from a lot of time on stage together. I knew I wanted to try and capture the magic again and I think we did."
Love & Trouble opens with a driving trio of banjo, fiddle and mandolin on "Yanceyville Jail," which Missy wrote about a true event. She recalls: "At a bluegrass festival in the 70’s, I was in the audience when the promoter, Carlton Haney, came out on stage to address the crowd. In his very thick North Carolina accent, Carlton said, ‘Now I know that you folks are looking forward to hearing Jimmy Martin tonight. But you’re not gonna hear Jimmy sing tonight cause Jimmy’s gonna spend the night in the Yanceyville jail.’ I was a kid but I was old enough to know this wasn’t a good day in the life of a storied entertainer. So I decided to write a song to tell a version of what might have been going through Jimmy Martin’s head that day."
Watch a live in-studio performance of "Yanceyville Jail":
From the traditionally-influenced opener, the album segues into "Claude Allen," a veritable traditional Appalachian ballad that the band discovered on a search through the Library of Congress archives. With Missy on lead vocals, each of the players shines in their ability to instrumentally color this tale of love gone wrong. Fiddler/vocalist Ellie Hakanson is featured on the Hazel Dickens classic "Scraps from Your Table," a crowd pleaser from the band’s live shows and an homage to Dickens' 100th birthday this year. And, mandolinist Tristan Scroggins steps into the vocal spotlight on "Future on Ice," a classic country song recorded by Jimmy Martin more than 50 years ago about drowning the sorrows of unrequited love, featuring special guest Deanie Richardson (Sister Sadie) on fiddle.
The album’s first single, "Anywhere the Wind Blows," was culled from the repertoire of The Good Ole Persons and penned by Kathy Kallick. Kallick and Laurie Lewis join Missy and Ellie on lead vocal and harmony duties on this driving re-arrangement. Missy comments: "Laurie and Kathy were among the first women to front their own bands and write songs and have influenced generations of musicians including both Ellie and me."
Love & Trouble closes on the Earl Klugh instrumental "Vonetta," a staple of the band’s live performances, which gives banjoist Eli Gilbert, guitarist Ben Garnett and the rest of the members a chance to showcase their instrumental versatility on an arrangement that reflects the influences of new acoustic pioneers Tony Rice and David Grisman.
Taken as a whole, Love & Trouble is a strong musical statement from a band at the top of its game. Missy Raines & Allegheny show the possibilities for traditional bluegrass in a contemporary context, expanding the genre’s roots even as they cultivate them. And the result is an ear-opening pleasure.
Love & Trouble is available today via Compass Records.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
16 May - Purple Fiddle - Thomas, WV - Tickets
17 May - Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts - Foxburg, PA - Tickets
22 May - Station Inn - Nashville, TN - Tickets
23 May - Red Clay Music Foundry - Duluth, GA - Tickets
24 May - Randy Wood Guitars - Bloomingdale, GA - Tickets
20 Jun - Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival - Cashmere, WA - Tickets
21 Jun - Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival - Cashmere, WA - Tickets
5 Jul - Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center - Robbinsville, NC - Tickets
11 Jul - High Mountain Hay Fever Festival - Westcliffe, CO - Tickets
12 Jul - High Mountain Hay Fever Festival - Westcliffe, CO - Tickets
18 Jul - Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival - Sundre, Canada - Tickets
19 Jul - Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival - Sundre, Canada - Tickets
24 July - Brewminatti, Prosser WA - Tickets
25 Jul - Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival - Stevenson, WA - Tickets
26 Jul - Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival - Stevenson, WA - Tickets
1 Nov - Sultana Downrigging Festival - Chestertown, MD - Tickets
