March 4, 2025 — Mountain Home Music Company announced today that it has signed IBMA Bass Player of the Year and powerhouse singer-songwriter Vickie Vaughn to an exclusive recording contract as a solo artist. The announcement comes simultaneously with news of her debut single — and her first new music as a solo artist in 10 years — for the label, a bluegrass-flavored version of Texas singer-songwriter Bruce Robison’s “Leavin’” now available for pre-save/add ahead of its March 21 release.
“I’m so excited and honored to be a part of the Mountain Home family,” says the Kentucky native turned Nashville resident. “Their artist roster is something to behold, and it feels so incredible to be included. I could fan girl about many of their artists, and I love that I get to be part of the pack now.”
A member of the all-women contemporary string band Della Mae, since 2020, and a founding member of bluegrass revivalists High Fidelity until last year, Vaughn’sappeal across the bluegrass spectrum — and beyond — helped propel her to consecutive Bass Player of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024. The accolades cemented her desire to foreground her own distinctive identity, not just as an instrumentalist and harmony singer, but as a bold interpreter who knows her way around a songwriting session, too. The result of that quest can now be heard on “Leavin’.”
With friend and supporter Deanie Richardson (Sister Sadie) in the producer’s chair,“Leavin’” finds Vaughn backed by a powerhouse group of collaborators that includes Richardson on fiddle, long-time colleague Casey Campbell (mandolin), award-winning guitarist Cody Kilby (Travelin’ McCourys), banjoist Wes Corbett (Sam Bush Band), drummer Dave Ristrim and sibling harmony singers Lillie Maeand Frank Rische. True to form, she not only drives the band like the powerhouse bassist she is, but signals her emergence as a compelling singer, too. In fact, while fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar take turns in a sweetly virtuosic solo section, the emphasis is all on Vaughn’s expressive voice, commanding the listener’s attention as she confidently navigates the melody’s intricate rhythms and lyric tumble of images and allusions.
“Vickie Vaughn is a force of musical nature,” says Mountain Home A&R Director Jon Weisberger. “Her playing has long deserved the recognition that she’s gotten from the IBMA, and I’ve been a fan of her singing for many years, too. Vickie’s heart is always on her sleeve, and her respect for tradition and her deep faith are matched by her unreserved embrace of new sounds and new experiences. I’ve been proud to call her a friend and colleague — someone who represents the best of a new generation of young roots musicians — and I am thrilled to welcome her into the Mountain Home family. There’s some great music ahead from Vickie Vaughn!”
Pre-save/add “Leavin'” HERE.
About Vickie Vaughn
Born and raised near Paducah, Vickie Vaughn grew up singing and playing bass at churches, community events and a local country revue show in western Kentucky. After graduating from Belmont University, she formed the Vickie Vaughn Band, releasing a six-song EP of contemporary bluegrass, Buy All the Roads, in 2015. Yet more traditional music beckoned, as she helped to start the acclaimed High Fidelity around the same time, appearing on four acclaimed albums before leaving the group in 2024. Vaughn also served as a vocalist and/or bassist for a broad array of artists, including Patty Loveless, Jesse McReynolds, Kelsey Waldon, Luke Bulla, Billy Gilman and more. In 2020, she joined Della Mae, with whom she continues to perform and record. Vickie Vaughn was awarded the IBMA’s Bass Player of the Year trophy in 2023 and 2024—and, she underlines, was named a Kentucky Colonel in 2023.