A New Team for Two Heavy Hitters of Bluegrass: Woody Platt and Buddy Melton

It was Friday at MerleFest and I had already taken in an afternoon and evening of music the day before, which threatened more rain than it delivered. The one downpour that hit the festival grounds coincided with my campsite assembly, though, which made for an especially challenging time with raising my tent. Pouring rain makes tents heavy and unwieldy, but luckily for me, not impossible to put together — just fairly comical to passersby. The inside of it was a mess after that, but it was the only weather incident I experienced all weekend. It would not be MerleFest without at least a little rain, after all.

As it would be an outlier for MerleFest to be without rain, it would be similarly unlikely for MerleFest to go without at least one of two contemporary bluegrass stars from western NC: Woody Platt and Buddy Melton. Fans have enjoyed Woody Platt’s former band Steep Canyon Rangers thirteen times at the festival since 2006, while Buddy Melton’s former group Balsam Range has made five appearances there since 2010. This year, they appeared in a new lineup: Woody Platt and the Bluegrass Gentlemen.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Woody Platt and Buddy Melton in one of the few quiet spots available on the festival grounds, in the band’s motor coach, where we talked about how this project began; how their region is recovering from Hurricane Helene and more recently, widespread wildfires; a certain Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover they played live at the festival, as well as how they love to hear other players cover their songs. That and a lot more, including excerpts of music from Woody Platt’s 2024 album Far Away With You awaits you in this episode.

Woody Platt and the Bluegrass Gentlemen perform on Creekside Stage at MerleFest in Wilkesboro NC 04-25-25

Songs heard in this episode:

“Long Time Coming” by Woody Platt, from Far Away With You

“Like The Rain Does” by Woody Platt, from Far Away With You, excerpt

“Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, from Live At Fillmore East, 1969, excerpt

“Walk Along With Me” by Woody Platt, from Far Away With You, excerpt

“One Last Goodbye” by Woody Platt, from Far Away With You

Thanks for reading and listening! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice. You can find us on Apple here, Spotify here and YouTube here — hundreds more episodes await, filled with artists you may know by name, or musicians and bands that are ready to become your next favorites.

This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick

A Mythical and Moral Tale To End All Tales With Barrett Davis

This one is for all the late bloomers. For anyone that went all in on their passion as an adult rather than a youth (or hopes to still), you will find a kindred spirit in Barrett Davis, who in his late 20s has released his debut album and is pushing to make music his career. While it may be harder to start a music career later in life, it has been done before: fellow North Carolina artists Chatham Rabbits come to mind, as well as previous Southern Songs and Stories guests Pony Bradshaw and Jeremy Pinnell, plus icons like Leonard Cohen and Al Jarreau are also examples.

Barrett Davis (center) performing at the Albino Skunk Music Festival 10-08-22 (photo: John Gillespie)

Davis, a carpenter by day, has the additional challenge of providing for his family while he chases his dream. If his first album The Ballad Of Aesop Fin is any indication, though, he has a good shot at realizing his goals of making carpentry more along the lines of a hobby or side hustle than a daily endeavor. The eight song collection features Woody Platt of Steep Canyon Rangers fame, and is produced by longtime friend and former bandmate Aaron Aiken, now a member of Asheville indie pop group Pink Beds. We spoke on a video call in early September 2022, and touched on everything from the sense of place in his music to his faith to what he described as the “old man emotions” that he witnessed on construction sites. Of course, we dip into his music as well, including a live performance of his song “Lazarus”.

Songs heard in this episode:

“Aesop Fin” by Barrett Davis, from The Ballad Of Aesop Fin

“Highway 64” by Barrett Davis, from The Ballad Of Aesop Fin, excerpt

“Quiver” by Barrett Davis, from The Ballad Of Aesop Fin, excerpt

“Lazarus” by Barrett Davis, live at Albino Skunk Music Festival 10-08-22

Thanks for listening, and we would be even more grateful were you to share this episode with someone. It is super easy to follow us on your podcast platform of choice, and then it will only take a minute to give it a good rating, and on platforms with the option, a review. Great ratings and reviews 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 Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes of this podcast on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Corrie Askew for producing the radio adaptations of this series on public radio WNCW, and to Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it.   - Joe Kendrick

Arm in Arm on Their Journey: Steep Canyon Rangers

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

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 8/28/20

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