It could be easy to lose sight of this, with all of the trials and tribulations we have endured in 2020, but Steep Canyon Rangers is having a banner year. Beginning with their live album North Carolina Songbook, continuing with a surprise collaboration with Boyz II Men on the remake of their song “Be Still Moses”, and finishing with their studio album Arm in Arm, the western North Carolina six piece band has been fully en fuego despite all of the cold water thrown on the music world lately. Twenty years into their run, they have already won two IBMA awards and a Grammy, and unless things go even more sideways and the sky goes from blue to green in 2021, expect more hardware to come their way for these recordings.

(l to r) Woody Platt and Graham Sharp warm up in WNCW’s Studio B 9/28/20 Photo: Mike Gavin — (l to r) Woody Platt and Graham Sharp warm up in WNCW’s Studio B 9/28/20
Photo: Mike Gavin

In this episode, you will hear conversations from members of Steep Canyon Rangers as well as plenty of their latest music, including a live performance from Woody Platt and Graham Sharp of their song “Honey On My Tongue” on WNCW. Jacob Groopman of the band Front Country joins us along the way, and we get a word from Steve Martin as well.

Thank you for visiting us at Southern Songs and Stories, and I hope you might tell someone you know about this podcast. You can subscribe to the series on your podcast platform of choice, and it helps greatly when you give it a good rating and a review. Top ratings, and reviews especially, will make Southern Songs and Stories and the artists it profiles more likely to be found by more people just like you. Southern Songs and Stories is a part of the podcast lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes of this podcast on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. - Joe Kendrick

WNCW control room during the simulcast of Steep Canyon Rangers’ drive-in concert in Asheville NC 8/28/20Photo: Joe Kendrick — WNCW control room during the simulcast of Steep Canyon Rangers’ drive-in concert in Asheville NC 8/28/20
Photo: Joe Kendrick

Songs heard in this episode:

“One Drop of Rain” from Steep Canyon Rangers album Arm in Arm

“Golden Highway” from The Chapel Hillbilly Way by The Shady Grove Band, excerpt

“Afterglow” from Arm in Arm by Steep Canyon Rangers, excerpt

“Sunny Days” from Arm in Arm by Steep Canyon Rangers, excerpt

“Honey On My Tongue” live in Studio B on WNCW 9-28-20

Artist stereotypes do not apply

How many times have parents cringed when their children fell in love with a musician? Let's be honest, the world has looked askance at artists of all stripes (with notable exceptions) for most of our history. Musicians tend to be thought of as people who may be great at their art but who are nonetheless pretty bad at life skills like paying bills, getting to work on time, and sticking with the missus.

Aaron turns all those stereotypes on their head; he is not only a fantastic songwriter and musician, but he also runs his own construction business and is a devoted family man living a stone's throw from where he grew up in the western NC mountains. He is as meticulous and intense about his guitar and ballads as he is about his green built homes and raising his two girls.

As you'll see in our pilot episode, Aaron does both life and art exceptionally well. The folks around him are a big part of that.