Long time band member of Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver, Jamie Dailey is partnering up with Darrin Vincent, of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, to start a new group called The Dailey Vincent Band. The new band won’t debut until 2008 though. Both Dailey and Vincent are going to continue their current gigs for the year of 2007 before embarking on this new venture.

Doyle has a short list of vocalist’s he’s interviewing to fill the vacancy that will be created in 2008 when Jamie Dailey leaves.

I spoke with Jamie yesterday and he assured me that he and Doyle are still on good terms with one another, and that Dolye has given his blessing to this new pursuit.

I love Doyle like a second daddy…I’m not marrying a cat, and Ralph Stanley is not pregnant.

I think what he’s trying to say is that we shouldn’t give in to idle speculation about the reasons for his leaving Quicksilver. He did admit to a certain amount of sadness at the thought of leaving the band he’s called home for the last eight years.

It is kind of saddening to think of leaving the band. It’s the kind of music I’ve loved all my life, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of time spent by Doyle’s side.

Why is he leaving then? Well, he gave me three reason for his decision.

Jamie will be 32 years old this year and said that if he was ever going to have his own band he felt like he’d better do it now. The other reasons he gave had to do with geography. Jamie lives in Nashville while Doyle is in Bristol. That’s quite a commute and Jamie said he’s ready to be based in Nashville. He’s also excited about recording in Nashville, a process they’ve already begun.

The Dailey Vincent Band has been in the studio already and plans to be back in the studio some more during the month of March. They are working on a CD they hope to release in 2008 upon launching the band. The recording is not yet on a label, though Jamie indicated they are talking to several labels.

The recording will feature the members of the new band including Jamie Dailey on guitar and Darrin Vincent on upright bass. The other members have already been confirmed, but Jamie was unable to disclose their names at this time. He did say the instrumentation includes mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. He also said that all 5 members of the band contribute to the vocals, which will include several quartet numbers.

Dailey said the direction the new band will take is decidedly straight up, driving bluegrass and bluegrass gospel. On days when the members are not touring with the bands they currently belong to, they are rehearsing 8 to 9 hours a day. Jamie said he learned this work ethic in the “school of Quicksilver.” They are working up a number of covers of traditional bluegrass tunes, but are spending a great deal of time focusing on writing their own material, which is very important to Jamie. He is excited about the material the band is coming up with and feels confident that what they are doing is unique and fresh, while at the same time maintaining a traditional sensibility.

2008 may be a year away, but they’re busy booking dates with 38 on the books already and more to come. Any promoters who are interested should make contact with Jamie as soon as possible. A website is currently under development with an expected launch in June of 2007. For now, Jamie encourages those who are interested to check his Myspace page for updates. Of course, we’ll continue to bring you more updates as we receive them from Jamie.