The numbers are in for Kalamazoo, Michigan quintet Greensky Bluegrass’anticipated new album Shouted, Written Down & Quoted, which Denver Magazinecalls “their best work to date.” Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, the band’s sixth studio album debuted at #3 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart. It also bowed at #5 on the Top New Artists Album chart, #13 on the Top Americana/Folk Albums chart, #21 on the Record Label Independent Current Albums chart, #45 on the Current Digital Albums chart, #52 on the Digital Albums chart and #91 on the Top Current Albums chart.
Shouted, Written Down & Quoted was released via the band’s own label Big Blue Zoo Records/Thirty Tigers, and comes on the heels of sold-out shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Ryman Auditorium, and a headlining performance at this year’s New England Festy. In recent months, Billboard, Relix, and American Songwriter all premiered songs from the album, and Pandora debuted the album a week before its release date.
Like the band’s name, Shouted, Written Down & Quoted is a collection of opposites, full of dark psychedelic swirls, bright bursts of acoustic guitar, soundscapes, solos, freethinking improvisation, and plenty of sharp, focused songwriting. It’s wild and wide-ranging, showing off the diversity Greensky Bluegrass brings to every live show. At the same time, Shouted, Written Down & Quoted is unmistakably a studio album, recorded during two different sessions — one at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, North Carolina; the other at the Mountain House Recording Studio in Nederland, Colorado — that comprise the band’s longest block of recording time ever. The result is an 11-track album whose songs cast a wide net, mixing the full-throttle energy of a Greensky Bluegrass concert with the nuanced approach of a band that’s still eager to explore.
“You can call us an acoustic ensemble, or a drum-less rock band, or a rock & roll bluegrass band,” says mandolin player Paul Hoffman, who, along with guitarist Dave Bruzza, handles most of the album’s writing duties. “All of that shifting identity has taught us to cover a lot of ground. There’s a flow to this album, just like there’s a flow to our setlists. There are some aggressive, rocking moments. Some bouncy, funky moments. An acoustic think piece or two. It’s a balance of moods and textures that we create as a band, almost like a mix tape.”
“If there’s any justice, [Shouted, Written Down & Quoted] will achieve wide recognition for the stellar songwriting, melt your shoes jamming, and general good times found within,” writes Ink 19. “Waitin’ for a miracle? Wait no more.”
Greensky Bluegrass is currently on tour playing headlining dates and festivals.
Track List:
01) Miss September
02) Past My Prime
03) While Waiting
04) Run Or Die
05) Room Without A Roof
06) Hold On
07) Merely Avoiding
08) Living Over
09) More Of Me
10) Fixin To Ruin
11) Take Cover
Tour Dates:
10/13: Memphis, TN – New Daisy Theatre
10/14: Eureka Springs, AR – The Farm (Hillberry Music Festival)
10/15: New Orleans, LA – The Joy Theater
10/18: Jackson, MS – Duling Hall
10/19: Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
10/20: Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
10/21-10/22: Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
10/25: Scottsdale, AZ – Livewire
10/26: Flagstaff, AZ – The Orpheum Theater
10/28: Live Oak, FL – Spirit Of The Suwannee Music Park (Suwannee Hulaween)
10/30-10/31: Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
11/2: Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
11/3: Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom
11/4: Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino
11/5: San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre
11/25-11/26: Kalamazoo, MI – State Theatre
12/1-12/3: Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
12/9-12/12: Puerto Morelos, Mexico – Now Sapphire Resort (Strings & Sol)
12/30-12/31: Royal Oak, Michigan – Royal Oak Music Theatre
