January 26, 2024 — When a world that once seemed familiar becomes suddenly estranged, the separation anxiety creates an effect that can ripple through attitudes, relationships and art. Unspoken Tradition, known for tackling themes beyond the typical bluegrass topics, addressed the subject through a personal lens on their last, chart-topping single, “Weeds Don’t Wither” — a song describing the struggles of social anxiety and depression — and now the quintet returns to it once more, this time tackling the feelings of alienation and loss on a communal, rather than personal, level.
Written by North Carolina artist John Cloyd Miller (Zoe & Cloyd), long known for his ability to make new material sound like it emerged from an earlier time, “Weary Town” is reflective of Unspoken Tradition’s own small North Carolina town, as described by singer and guitar player Audie McGinnis:
“Our hometown was a great place to grow up. It thrived for decades because of a trucking company founded by some of its citizens. Many locals found work there; it was almost analogous to a mining town. That trucking company was bought by a larger corporation that ultimately closed the terminal, and the town became a shell of its former self in a matter of a few years. It hurts in a way only bittersweet nostalgia can to know that the town where I made so many memories exists in name only.”
With McGinnis’ opening vocals emerging from a solemn acoustic guitar strum and bowed bass, the forlorn feel of the prelude sets an introspective, melancholy tone that shapes the track’s moody, expansive arrangement and delivery. Breaking with traditional bluegrass arrangement approaches, the single forgoes instrumental solos in favor of bowed bass, unison passages, tempo and feel changes, and intricately layered instrumental sequences that create a dynamic listening experience, reflecting the lyric’s somber invocation of a sense of place, a sense of loss and a search for a path forward.
“When John sent us this one,” McGinnis concludes, “it just ripped at my heart, because it makes the struggle and loss of a fading town so real. ‘What’s it gonna take for us to hold on?’ Iris Dement couldn’t have written a better love letter to a fading town!”
“Weary Town” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
About Unspoken Tradition
Unspoken Tradition is about new, original Bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional and newgrass music, this North Carolina based quintet brings a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving and sincere.
Their latest single, “Weeds Don’t Wither” reached No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today chart, and seven singles from their 2022 album Imaginary Lines charted in the top 20 including “California” at No. 1, “Irons in the Fire” at No. 2 and “Carolina and Tennessee” at No. 4. Their 2019 release, Myths We Tell Our Young, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and saw five top-charting radio singles, including a No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today chart with “Dark Side of the Mountain.”
Unspoken Tradition’s material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina where they call home. The band has earned a fervent following in the Southeast, selling out shows in Asheville, NC as well as the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, TN. They have also performed twice on the coveted Watson (main stage) at MerleFest. With heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and ever-growing streaming numbers, Unspoken Tradition is a fast-rising voice of a new generation of roots music artists.