Arden, North Carolina (February 28, 2020) — Following four #1 singles from his Mountain Home release, The Choosing Road, Chris Jones returns with some new Night Drivers and a new single titled “We Needed This Ride.” The single — a streaming exclusive from a yet to be released project — brings a fresh twist to the award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist’s sound with a song written from the heart.
“It’s not so much a road song as it is a song about a romantic reunion and a rekindling on a road trip,” Jones says. “As with other songs I’ve written, it takes parts of my real life experience and blends them into a larger story.”
With a mid-tempo groove that evokes a winding ride through literal and emotional landscapes, “We Needed This Ride” offers a compelling, yet traditional-minded metaphor for the journey of a relationship with all its unforeseen bumps, turns and sometimes unknown destinations.
Joining Jones and Mark Stoffel (mandolin, vocals) are celebrated veteran and four-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year, Marshall Wilborn (Lynn Morris Band, Longview) and Michigan singer, banjoist — and ukulele player — Grace van’t Hof.
“We were looking for a way to incorporate Grace’s baritone ukulele, since that’s part of our instrumental mix now, and it worked really well to start that way, then have her switch to banjo mid-way through the song,” adds Jones. “I’m excited for listeners to hear the new harmony vocal sound of the band, too — not to mention Marshall’s exceptional bass playing.”
Listen to “We Needed This Ride” HERE.
About Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Whether it’s in the studio or on stage, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers are making some of the most distinctively elegant yet driving music to be heard anywhere today, and they’re delivering it with a unique blend of dry wit, emotional authenticity and broad humor that’s won the loyalty of a growing number of fans across the country, from MerleFest in North Carolina to California’s Huck Finn Jubilee, and around the world.
Steve Martin referred to the Night Drivers as “. . . some of the best players in bluegrass! Chris Jones’ voice is there with the great masters.” Americana artist Jim Lauderdale said of Chris, “He continues to have one of the most distinctive and best voices in music, period.”
The band — which is Mark Stoffel on mandolin, Grace van’t Hof on banjo and ukelele and Marshall Wilborn on bass — is led by Chris’ soulful lead-singing, songwriting, and solid rhythm and lead guitar. Chris boasts extensive performance credits as a sideman with artists like Lynn Morris, Vassar Clements, Special Consensus, Dave Evans, Earl Scruggs, and the acclaimed Irish band The Chieftains.
Altogether, members of Chris Jones & The Night Drivers have won more than a dozen IBMA awards and have recorded more than ten #1 songs. The Night Drivers also bring name recognition in related fields, as bluegrass fans are well-familiar with Jones for his award-winning work as a SiriusXM DJ, on both Bluegrass Junction and Willie’s Roadhouse.