Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out Release Two New Singles This Week

After an eight-year recording hiatus, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out are announcing the release of TWO new singles this week: "Heading East To West Virginia" and "When I Get There." Both songs will be available to radio and digital streaming services Friday, October 6th.

With a career in full-time music spanning 32 years, the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) seven-time Vocal Group of the Year has amassed 18 full-length albums including their 2015 release, It's About Tyme, that stayed #1 on the National Bluegrass Survey Top 15 Albums chart for a record-setting six months.

Prior, the band garnered the attention of executives at Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores who invited the band to record Timeless Hits From The Past...BLUEGRASSED sold exclusively at Cracker Barrel stores across the country. With so much success to their credit, IBMA's six-time Male Vocalist of the Year, Russell Moore has been asked repeatedly, "Why wait so long?"

"I've always wanted our band to present the absolute best music possible so entering the studio to record comes with a great deal of forethought and preparation for me," says Moore. "Before we recorded the album for Cracker Barrel, it had been five years since our previous album. In fact, going into the studio only two years later for It's About Tyme was kind of an anomaly for us.

That album was so successful that I didn't really feel the need to prepare for another project right away. And then there was a period of time when we experienced a couple band member changes, and then came the pandemic, and the next thing you know, time has flown by." But the wait is finally over and Moore is counting on beloved fans and radio to be as excited about this new music as he is.

"I'm hopeful that folks will be excited about not just one single, but two! We thought, why not come out of the gate running and give everyone a bluegrass and a gospel song."

Known for their solid delivery of cut-to-the-core bluegrass, "Heading East To West Virginia," written by Tim Raybon, is straight up made for IIIrd Tyme Out. "I like a good 'hook' to a song and when I first saw the title of 'Heading East To West Virginia' it immediately piqued my interest," Moore says. "After listening to the demo I knew I wanted to record it. The positive story-line and excitement of falling in love and longing to be with someone comes thru clearly, and I think you can hear the band's excitement in our performance on this cut!"

Another contributing factor to the band's decades-long success is their delivery of Gospel quartet numbers. The addition of fiddler and bass singer Nathan Aldridge in 2018 afforded them the opportunity to revisit many of the classic gospel songs the band had recorded over the years. So, it was a natural decision to record and release "When I Get There."

Of the song, Moore says, "I knew Mike Feagan to be a fiddle player but didn't know he was also a writer. The demo for this song was just Mike and his guitar, but I quickly heard it as being a quartet all the way thru. Mike definitely has a talent other than playing fiddle and I love the way he put his feelings into words with this song. I also look forward to performing it on our live shows for years to come."

Fans will get a sneak peek of the new music when "Heading East To West Virginia" premieres on SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction with Joey Black on Wednesday, October 4th at 8am ET followed by the premiere of "When I Get There" on BanjoRadio with Kyle Cantrell at 7:45am CT on Thursday, October 5th. Both songs will be available to radio programmers and on digital streaming services beginning Friday, October 6th.

About Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

For over 30 years, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out have been touring and releasing great, original bluegrass music. After spending a handful of formative years as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (and recording some legendary bluegrass music in the process), Russell Moore formed IIIrd Tyme Out in 1991 and bluegrass music hasn't been the same since. IIIrd Tyme Out helped usher in a new era of youthful, energetic bluegrass and established a unique sound that has lasted well into the 21st century.

Three decades later, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out are one of bluegrass music's most-awarded touring bands with over 50 industry accolades to their credit. In 2019, Moore received his 6th Male Vocalist of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association, maintaining the record as their most awarded in that category.

With 18 albums and plenty of miles under his belt, Moore is still excited about performing. “Even with all these years into it, we're just as ready to hit the road and play the music as we were our first day on the road in 1991.”

Photo Credit: Matt Morrison

To post a comment, you must register and login.