Arden, North Carolina (November 4, 2021) — Balsam Range, the award-winning bluegrass band from Western North Carolina, capped off a month of intensive airplay by claiming the top position on Bluegrass Today’s Monthly Airplay Chart for October with “Highway Side,” the fifth song from the quintet’s latest album, Moxie and Mettle, to go to No. 1.

“Highway Side” follows IBMA Song of the Year, “Richest Man,” “Grit and Grace,” “Rivers, Rains and Runaway Trains” and “Santa Barbara” in reaching the top position. The song’s concise two minute story marries a Rashomon-like glimpse of a driver passing a hitchhiker to a propulsive bluegrass beat that delivers the song’s empathetic message — “I wonder how did he get there…Something tells me he and I are the same” — through strong harmonies, deft picking and an irresistible sing-along chorus.  In a further boost to the track’s popularity, the group released a follow-up video that cleverly portrays the entire band in both of the lyric’s roles — riding a tour bus and thumbing a ride by the side of the road, too — while offering a glimpse of the band’s typical touring day, from loading the bus to soundcheck and performance to greeting fans after the show.

Listen to “Highway Side” — and the rest of Moxie and Mettle — HERE.

About Balsam Range
The 2014 and 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the
Year, Balsam Range, has become one of the genre’s most award-winning acts. Since forming in 2007, the group has garnered 14 IBMA awards on the heels of 10 critically acclaimed albums. Balsam Range has left audiences spellbound while headlining major festivals from coast-to-coast, selling out venues across the nation and in multiple appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. The band’s last four albums have all debuted in the top five on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts while their latest offering, Moxie And Mettle provided five number one radio hits. One of those songs, Richest Man was awarded Song Of The Year at the 2021 IBMA awards.