Steep Canyon Rangers

Formed in North Carolina and shaped equally by the Appalachian Mountains and the state’s Piedmont region, Steep Canyon Rangers have long occupied a singular space in American roots music. From its earliest recordings, the band demonstrated an unusual ability to honor traditional bluegrass forms while allowing contemporary songwriting, literary influences, and regional storytelling to seep naturally into the music. Over time, this balance earned the Rangers both bluegrass credibility and broader Americana acclaim, culminating in a Best Bluegrass Album Grammy for 2013’s Nobody Knows You, additional nominations for 2012’s Rare Bird Alert and 2020’s North Carolina Songbook, and induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2017.

Next Act, the group’s 2026 record, is a return to the bluegrass foundations that first bound the band together, approached with the confidence and emotional range earned through years of collective evolution. It is an affirmation that bluegrass still contains endless expressive possibility. Next Act finds the Rangers sounding deeply at home in their own musical language, drawing strength from tradition while continuing to write new chapters within it.