North Carolina-based group Nick & Brew may have created a new subgenre of bluegrass music with their recent single, Snowin’ on Pisgah – hurricane heartbreak. Bandmates Nick Dauphinais and Brew Davis have created a gentle, melancholy reflection on lost love during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina during the fall and winter of 2024-25. While the subject matter may seem pretty specific, the feelings of loss, and wondering what might have been, will be familiar to many listeners.
The song never directly mentions Helene, but listeners familiar with the devastation wreaked on western North Carolina and east Tennessee by the hurricane will notice hints dropped by the narrator showing that a break-up isn’t all he’s dealing with. From the description of the late summer day that broke his heart – “the day you left was pourin’ rain” – to the blunt statement that “It’s gettin’ bad down here in Asheville,” the narrator traces how he’s coming to terms with rebuilding his life in more ways than one.
Dauphinais and Davis are joined by several talented musicians for the track, helping create a sound that’s both peaceful and a bit mournful, just like the titular snow. Lucas Dauphinais plays bass and provides baritone harmonies, Adam Bachman is on dobro, Branson Raines plays fiddle, and Derek Vaden rounds out the group on banjo.
For all those out there still snowed in after last week’s winter storm, Snowin’ on Pisgah is a fine choice to match the gray, wintry sky outside – and provide a bit of hope that brighter days are ahead.
