Chatham County Line Share 'Way Down Yonder' & More Tour Dates Announced

Raleigh, NC-based Chatham County Line share the third single, “Way Down Yonder,” from their highly anticipated tenth studio album, Hiyo, out January 26 on Yep Roc Records; pre-order/pre-save here.  

Fusing past and present in a reimagining of the old school murder ballad, the eerily cinematic “Way Down Yonder” traces the tale of a young couple, a taunting phrase, and ultimately revenge. “Blood that flows freely through a thousand verses of song passed from Mother to child and to child again,” offers lyricist Dave Wilson.

“An old-time fiddle and banjo figure loop around the maypole as a ghostly female voice joins the folk choir to send a sinner to where antiquated words are never spoken again.” The track features guest appearances, including vocalist Maya de Vitry, fiddler John Mailander (Bruce Hornsby, Billy Strings) and drummer Jamie Dick (Watchhouse, Rhiannon Giddens).  

In support of the album, the band will celebrate the album release with two Schoolkids Records in-stores in Raleigh (Jan 27) and Chapel Hill (Jan 28), along with a hometown record release show on February 17 at the newly reopened Rialto Theatre. The 17-date tour run will also include stops in Atlanta, Charleston, Richmond, Charlottesville, among others, and their fourth appearance at Merlefest, one of America's premier roots festivals in Wilkesboro, NC in April. A complete list of dates is below; tickets are now on sale.   

The album's rousing opener and first single, “Right On Time,” is a rollicking, harmony-driven ode to young love and the open road, balancing nostalgia with the contemporary setting the stage for the band's first album in four years. “Magic,”  the second single unveiled, is an enchantingly optimistic tune lined with a slightly psychedelic twang and a heavenly vocal performance that blends Everlys and Wilburys.  

Recorded at Asheville's Echo Mountain, the album was co-produced by Dave Wilson and Nashville-based Rachael Moore (Kacey Musgraves, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss), whom the band befriended during a stint serving as the backing band on the Showtime series George & Tammy, shot in Wilmington, NC.

“I could tell the guys were ready to go somewhere new, and I wanted to see how far we could stretch the boundaries,” offers Moore. “We agreed we'd still do things thoughtfully and be true to who they were, but this felt like a chance to explore some springs that they maybe hadn't gotten to tap into before.”  

“The best music is made with complete total freedom,” says singer/guitarist Dave Wilson. “We spent a lot of years pushing at the fences, but with this album, we've finally busted out of the corral.” Fueled by new sounds, collaborators, and experimenting with fresh sonic palettes and innovative approaches to instrumentations, Hiyo marks an evolution for the band, who spent 15 years performing around a single microphone and chose to add a drummer to their touring lineup after the 2020 departure of their banjo player.    

The resulting album takes Chatham County Line's enduring sound and injects it with an adventurous spirit of discovery and vitality, incorporating synthesizers, drum machines, and more electric guitar and percussion than ever before, rounded out by Dave Wilson's classic songwriting – rich, evocative tales of love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow, revenge and righteousness.

“There's this liberating element to getting rid of all the preconceptions about who we are and what we sound like, and I think it shows in these songs,” says Dave Wilson.  

A roots music staple for over two decades, Chatham County Line – Dave Wilson (vocal, guitars, harmonica, synthesizer, banjo); John Teer (mandolin, fiddle, guitars, vocal); and Greg Readling (bass, pedal steel, piano, clavinet, organ, vocal) – built a devoted following on the strength of their genre-bending live show before breaking out internationally in 2003 with their self-titled debut.

Since then, the band's critically acclaimed albums have topped Billboard Bluegrass charts four times, they've shared the bill with the likes of Lyle Lovett and Guy Clark to The Avett Brothers and Steve Martin & Martin Short, and have collaborated with Judy Collins, Sharon Van Etten, and Jonas Fjeld.   

Chatham County Line Tour Dates

January 27 – Schoolkids Records In-Store – Raleigh, NC
January 28 – Schoolkids Records In-store – Chapel Hill, NC
February 16 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
February 17 - Rialto Theatre - Raleigh, NC
February 23 - Folk Alliance - Kansas City, MO
March 1 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA 
March 2 - The Grey Eagle  - Asheville, NC
March 7 - The Ramkat - Winston-Salem, NC
March 8 - Charleston Pour House - Charleston, SC
March 9 - Bourgie Nights - Wilmington, NC
April 4 – Jammin' Java – Vienna, VA
April 5 – Richmond Music Hall – Richmond, VA
April 6 – Hub City Vinyl – Hagerstown, MD
April 9 – Caffe Lena – Saratoga Springs, NY
April 11 – Mauch Chunk Opera House – Jim Thorpe, PA
April 12 – Stoltz Listening Room – Easton, MD
April 13 – The Southern Cafe and Music Hall – Charlottesville, VA 
April 26 - MerleFest - Wilkesboro, NC
May 3 – BirdFest 2024 – Pinewood, SC
May 11 – Points of Sanctuary – Roanoke, VA  

photo credit: York Wilson

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