Posted: May 23, 2023, 5:00 PM | Category:New Releases Artist Tags: Source: Turning Point Media Relations
Chart-topping bluegrass Gospel leaders Chosen Road return June 23 with the much-anticipated new full-length set It Never Gets Old. Hallmarked by the band's signature blend of traditional Appalachian instrumentation and tight harmonies atop fresh originals and updated arrangements of familiar favorites, the Thoroughbred Records release was produced by group members Zachary Alvis, Tyler Robertson, and Jonathan Buckner.
Steeped in tradition with a nod to the future, It Never Gets Old showcases 13 songs, including the most newly-penned tracks the band has featured on a project to date. "This album represents a season of growth in our personal lives, and I believe that's facilitated the growth we've experienced musically," says Chosen Road founding member Jonathan Buckner. "We've also grown more confident in our own ideas and thought processes, as well as how we want to define our sound."
"We live in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, where bluegrass and old-time music were born," he continues. "Our people have always been great storytellers and musicians, and when you pair those things with the Christian faith, something special happens. We call it 'heart' music, and I believe that's what this album is made of. We hope listeners hear us telling our stories through our music and are challenged to share their God-given stories. After all, if it's a story God has given you, it's a story that will never get old."
The Lee Patrick Black and Tony Wood-penned modern hymn "Awake My Soul" opens the album, setting a buoyant, joyful tone for the collection. Additional highlights of It Never Gets Old include the tender ballad and lead single "I Want To Be Just Like You," which will be available on streaming platforms on June 2, as well as two songs with special meaning to the band. "People's Praise" was inspired by a letter left behind by missionary Karen Watson, who was killed while working with refugees in Iraq; and "One Willing Soul" was written for a ministry close to Chosen Road's heart.
"Zachary and I were asked to write a song for our friends at the North American Mission Board's Church Replant and Revitalization Team," Buckner shares of the origin of "One Willing Soul." "We come from a small town in the coalfields of southern West Virginia where many churches have been on the decline for quite some time. Pastors are often juggling the responsibilities of being a husband, a father, and shepherding a flock of local believers, all while working multiple jobs to make ends meet. We wanted to encourage them that their contributions to the Kingdom matter and that they are making a difference."
Chosen Road will be performing selections from It Never Gets Old at multiple upcoming events, including the long-running Sunday Mornin' Country celebration, to be held June 11 during Nashville's CMA Fest; and Michigan's Big Ticket Music Festival, headlined by Crowder and Zach Williams, June 23-24. The band is also among the star-studded lineup for the popular 40 Days & 40 Nights at the Ark concert series this summer at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky.