Set to play Ham Amphitheater on the campus of Auburn University on May 21, the North Carolina based bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers will be on the cusp of releasing Next Act, their 15th studio album since the band’s inception in 2000.
Made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums, dobro, percussion and vocals, and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar and vocals, the Rangers have built somewhat of a cult following by honoring traditional bluegrass music while incorporating the band’s love of literature and regional storytelling.
The Rangers won a Best Bluegrass Album Grammy for 2013’s “Nobody Knows You” and were nominated for Rare Bird Alert in 2012 and North Carolina Songbook in 2020. The group has since been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and toured as a supporting group to actor, comedian and banjo player Steve Martin as well as performing with Martin and Martin Short on their comedy tour.
According to Smith, who grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, his love and appreciation for bluegrass happened organically when he was a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
“At that time, which was the mid to late 90s, there was a lot of really exciting stuff kind of on the fringes of bluegrass, like bluegrass fusing with other kinds of music,” Smith said. “It was fusing with rock and roll, jazz and classical, and that’s what really caught my attention. There was also an album that came out in the 70s called “Old And In The Way”. It’s notable, among other reasons, because Jerry Garcia was the banjo player on the album. So, this album, “Old And In The Way”, became kind of this gateway drug for a lot of us. And that’s true of everyone in the band. None of us grew up in a bluegrass family.”
Smith said that even though the band puts together a set list for each show, the list is likely to change the night of the show according to the feel of the band and the crowd. According to Smith, the ever evolving and changing of songs played at the show keeps the band fresh and allows for no two shows to be the same.
“Everybody in the band is big fans of the Grateful Dead and the band has kind of a Grateful Dead approach to song lists and letting songs happen organically,” Smith said. “The show we play in Auburn won’t be exactly like the show we did in Virginia. It keeps us from getting mired down in the same set list every night.”
Martin first met the Rangers while on vacation with his wife in North Carolina. The Rangers plan to continue touring with Martin and Short and are looking forward to reconnecting with the pair sometime in the fall. Martin owns a home in Brevard, North Carolina, and spends a lot of time with his teenage daughter. According to Smith there are a few differences when it comes to touring with Martin and Short.
“It’s way fancier,” Smith said with a laugh. “The food is better, the accommodations are better, and sometimes we get to travel from place to place on a private jet.”
Smith added that while there are some perks that come with touring with celebrities like Martin and Short, both gentlemen are down to earth and inspiring to be around.
“They’re like these great artists and they work really hard and they’re really fun and treat people really well,” Smith said. “They are both really cool to hang out with, and they put you at such ease that you forget how famous and accomplished they both are. They have a genuine way of making you feel like the most interesting person in the room.”
Steep Canyon Rangers have recorded nine solo albums and two collaborative albums with Steve Martin. The group performed at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival and appeared on Austin City Limits the same year. Tickets are still available for the May 21st show at Auburn.
