Today, the Grammy® Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers announce the addition of North Carolina singer-songwriter Aaron Burdett as the newest Ranger. An acclaimed Americana/folk singer-songwriter and performer from Western North Carolina, Aaron is listed as one of the most important western NC musicians by WNC Magazine. Burdett started playing shows with the band in August and is now officially on board.
With top awards in multiple songwriting competitions hosted by the likes of Merlefest, The USA Songwriting Competition, Mountain Stage, the NC Songwriter’s Co-op, and Our State Magazine, his last four albums have been voted top 20 Albums of the Year by WNCW radio listeners. You can learn more about Aaron Burdett here.
“Aaron showed up on our radar late in the audition process, and we were all struck by the honesty and power of his music,” said the band in a joint statement. “He arrives as an exceptional North Carolina artist in his own right, and our connection feels fresh and familiar at the same time. His talent as a singer and songwriter is already pushing the band to new heights.”
“I got the call out of the blue from SCR on a Monday morning a couple of months ago, and although I’d never imagined collaborating with them, the closer I looked at it, the better fit it seemed to be,” adds Aaron Burdett “And as we’ve tested the waters and played gigs and traveled and hung out together, that feeling has only grown and solidified. It’s a dream come true to have an opportunity to play with musicians of this caliber and at this level. We already sound really good together, and I can’t wait to see where we are a year from now.”
With a new album in the works and a full schedule of upcoming shows, the Steep Canyon Rangers—Graham Sharp (vocals/banjo), Mike Guggino (vocals/mandolin/mandola), Nicky Sanders (vocals/fiddle), Mike Ashworth (vocals/drums), Barrett Smith (vocals/bass), and Aaron Burdett (vocals/guitar)—begin a new musical chapter sharing their signature sound.
Over the band’s esteemed career, the three-time Grammy nominees have released 13 studio albums, three collaborative albums with actor/banjoist Steve Martin, been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and appeared on some of music’s biggest stages. In 2013, Nobody Knows You won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, while 2012’s Rare Bird Alert and 2020’s North Carolina Songbook garnered nominations in the same category.
