One week from today, on March 4, 2008, Chatham County Line, the four piece alt-bluegrass band from Raleigh, NC, will release their fourth CD titled IV.

Chatham County Line isn’t your typical bluegrass band. They are self described as “new traditionalists” in the bluegrass/acoustic music genre. Born out a love for roots music, the band members have quite varied music backgrounds that range from flatpicking to indie rock.

Producer Chris Stamey is back again on this new CD. He describes the band’s relationship to bluegrass this way.

They have always stayed true to their traditional instrumentation, but their albums have never been limited by that in any way. There has always been a progression. They’ve used bluegrass as a jumping off point, a vernacular through which to access all that is roots music, be that gospel, country, rock or pop. That’s American music and they are an American band.

Dave Wilson is the band’s flatpicking guitarist/vocalist. He comments that this new recording is really a mile stone in the band’s maturity.

We started the band as a way to hang out and drink beer. Slowly it turns into a career. This record is about growing up and becoming a band.

Before, we were trying to fit into this one niche because of the instruments we like to play. But now we just look at our instruments as our instruments and it’s all about taking that and evolving into the band we are and want to be.

I share all that information with you as a spoiler of sorts. This is not your average bluegrass CD, and that’s a good thing! Who wants to be average? Certainly not these guys. (more…)