The upcoming Mountain Heart music video we mentioned earlier this month is being shot this next few days. The guys are making their way towards our home turf, and will shoot in and around Roanoke, VA betwen December 18-20. Shooting and editing will be done by Scott Hansen of Virginia Beach.

The video will be for the title track from their latest Rural Rhythm CD, Road That Never Ends, and will feature both live performance and offstage footage. The band is planning to shoot outdoors this evening, when the temperatures will be in the 20s! I hope they brought their long woollies.

On Wednesday evening (12/19), shooting will take place at Greystone Tavern in Salem, and any Mountain Heart fans and friends within a comfortable drive are invited to come out and be a part of the shoot. They plan to start by 6:30 p.m., and will play a set after they get the shooting finished.

They will have their newest member in tow for this trip, Aaron Ramsey, on mandolin taking Adam Steffey’s spot. Aaron had been a featured member of both The Linville Ridge Band and Damascus Road.

Mountain Heart fiddler Jim Van Cleve is glad to have Aaron climb on board the train.

“We had looked at holding formal tryouts when Adam told us he was leaving, but before we could, we had a last minute date come in where Adam couldn’t make it. He recommended that we get Aaron to fill in so we asked him to sub that night. Aaron knew all the songs, played them well and had a great stage presence. It wasn’t meant as a tryout, but I guess it ended up being one!

We all got together with him to rehearse last week, and he knew all our material – some of it better than we did – and we knew he was the guy. Aaron is young (21 years old), plays several instruments well and is a good singer. To me, he could be one of the next “big deals” in the mandolin world. I’m really fired up, and am excited to have someone in the band to challenge me musically in new ways.

All of us were sorry to see Adam leave, but we wish him all the luck in the world with his new endeavor. I’m grateful to him for seven years of great music. He is one of my musical heroes, who I’m proud to also call a friend.”