Family bands have been a hallmark of bluegrass music for generations, its communal aspect bringing siblings and parents closer together through music, and giving audiences a wholesome, enjoyable experience. One family group relatively new to the bluegrass world is the Roan Street Ramblers. Based in Johnson City, TN, the band consists of the Smith family, with mother Leslie on guitar along with her children Lucy on fiddle, River on banjo, and Sawyer on mandolin. Though the group classifies their music as a mix between bluegrass and old time, their debut EP, Hello Stranger, leans heavily on the traditional bluegrass sound.
Pretty much all of the eight tracks are well known and loved standards within the bluegrass repertoire. The opening track, Blackjack, showcases River Smith’s hard hitting five string banjo playing, along with the family’s collective instrumental abilities, as does Snowflake Breakdown.
While Blue Moon of Kentucky has been recorded by an uncountable number of artists over the years, the Roan Street Ramblers’ version particularly stands out here as it beautifully captures the duet harmony of mother Linda and daughter Lucy.
Other songs found here include Nine Pound Hammer, Sunny Side of the Mountain, and Blue Ridge Mountain Girl, among others. While there’s some raggedness in both the singing and picking, this is a group clearly in the process of developing their sound.
Hello Stranger serves as a nice introduction to another promising family unit. Toward the end of last year, the Roan Street Ramblers released the single, A Long Ways Past a Preacher. Written by River, it tells the story of the floods that took place after Hurricane Helene. This selection shows great growth in every aspect of the group’s ability.
Both Hello Stranger and the single, A Long Ways Past a Preacher, will hopefully leave you excited for what the Roan Street Ramblers will continue to bring forward.
