February 7, 2025 — On the heels of their latest #1, a ‘grassed-up remake of Alabama’s “I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why),” Mountain Home Music Company’s Unspoken Tradition returns with another remake. This time, though, they take on a song from a local group that went on to earn acclaim as a pioneering jam band — and for the quintet, “Katie and Burl” is a song that resonates deeply.
“When I was a kid, probably 11 or 12 years old,” recalls guitarist and lead singer Audie McGinnis, “there was a local music venue called Leatherwoods in Shelby, NC. It was in the back of this old comic book store, and there was a door in the back that opened into a listening room. Acoustic Syndicate used to play there all the time. My dad knew the McMurry boys and fished with Steve some when I was a kid, so we went to Leatherwoods every time they played there. Steve wrote ‘Katie and Burl’ for their first album, and this was about the time I got my first guitar. I learned several songs on that album, and ‘Katie and Burl’ was one of them. I was so honored that Steve was willing to come sing a verse on our version of his own song!”
Indeed, when McMurry chimes in to deliver its final verse and chorus, “Katie and Burl” gives off a distinct “full circle” vibe, but from the opening notes of McGinnis’guitar, through trenchant solos from Tim Gardner (fiddle), mandolinist Ty Gilpin and Zane McGinnis (banjo) and soulful harmonies from bassist Sav Sankaran, the performance offers a laid back yet engrossing account of a way of life increasingly difficult to maintain in the band’s western North Carolina home.
“I’ve always been drawn to songs that have a sweet but sorrowful sense of loss,” McGinnis notes. “This one is about two young people against the world, experiencing joy and sadness along the way. Symbolically, Burl the farmer returns ‘to the earth where he came from’ and today he wouldn’t understand the farm he once owned as it’s been repurposed for modern men. In fact, when I wrote ‘Land’back in 2016, the themes of ‘Katie and Burl’ served as inspiration: that our existence here is both meaningful and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.”
“Katie and Burl” 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.