East River Mountain Band
Princeton, WV | Established. Jan 01, 2017 | SELF
Music
Press
One of the bright new stars of the modern bluegrass scene has a solid coalfield connection. Ali Shumate's first CD, "Heartbreak Train," is moving up the Billboard charts like a bullet. In the week of June 24, the album climbed to No. 3 on "Country Single Sales," and to No. 42 in the "Hot 100 Single Sales" overall. In the week fo July 8, Shumate's album climbed a notch to No. 2 in Country Single Sales and stayed at No. 42 in the Hot 100...Shumate grew up in McDowell County and has singing roots that extend back into the 19th Century to the Honaker family that performed for silent movies and even played on the stage of the Pocahontas, Va., opera house...she studied classical piano, woodwinds and music theory and voice...through the process of refining and recording her sound that, while unique, shows the influences of Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Linda Ronstadt and others...Shumate's work on the album is outstanding and deomstrates a playful appreciation for life in songs like "Travelin' State of Mind," and "You'll be Sorrier when I'm Gone," as well as a powerful religious connection in "(How Will I Make It) God Knows." She has a satisfied quality in her songs that, while it differs from the pathos of so much music, still gives pause to reflective insights. The arrangements are flawless. - Bluefield Daily Telegraph - July 23, 2006
Last year at the Gibson Bluegrass Theater in Nashville, I had the incredible priviledge of seeing Ali Shumate perform on one of the great historic states in Nashville. She knocked'em out at Fan Fair last year...Ali Shumate brougnt the house down. She performed her entire album to the crowd of absolute die-hard bluegrass fans and they loved her. Stay tuned for more great authentic bluegrass from one of the most beautiful and precious artists you'll ever meet. She'll remind you of Dolly Parton, guaranteed! - Entertainment Headline News Nashville
Discography
Debut Album - Heartbreak Train - recorded at Chelsea Studios in Nashville, Tennessee - National street release 5/30/06, Platinum Plus Records, Distributed by Select-O-Hits nationally to brick and mortar stores and digital format.
Single - Heartbreak Train - current national release charted on Billboard Hot 100 Pop Single Sales and Country Single Sales Charts
Ali's music is receiving radio play on the WWB with Gracie, Uncle Billy, Bill Foster and others, and internationally on terrestrial bluegrass anc country stations in the US, Canada and Australia.
Ali has currently completed the material for the follow-up album with plans to record and distribute in 2007.
Photos
Bio
It is with great pride and immense pleasure that we introduce our new
project in Bluegrass music - the East River Mountain Band. This
collaboration showcases a group of individuals accomplished in their own
right on the music scene with a mission to create new, original Bluegrass tunes
that pay tribute to the time-honored genre and style of mountain music.
Members of ERMB are:
Marc and Chris Maynard - this dynamic duo are father and son hailing from the mountains of West Virginia. Marc and Chris have a passion for the art and technical excellence of bluegrass music and both are multi-instrumentalists with Marc accomplished on Banjo / Mandolin / Bass and Chris an incredible prodigy on Mandolin and Flat-pick Guitar. Together they have had the privilege of playing for and touring with the late, great Melvin Goins, a pioneer and icon in the Bluegrass genre. They have played many of the largest festivals in the country including Bean Blossom, Uncle Pen Days, Starvey Creek Bluegrass
Festival in MO, Yeehaw Junction in FL, Ralph Stanley’s Homecoming Festival in
VA, Summersville Bluegrass Festival in WV, The Mountaineer Opry House in
Milton, WV, just to name a few. At the young age of 14, Chris has enjoyed the honor of sharing the Grand Ole Opry stage with Melvin and member Mike Snider. They also later formed the Streamliner Bluegrass Band and now have made their home with ERMB.
Ali Shumate, a native of Bluefield West Virginia and now residing in Florida, has enjoyed much success over her bluegrass / country career. Her 10-song original album, Heartbreak Train was released in 2006, which was recorded in Chelsea Studios Nashville and released at the Gibson Showcase Theater in Nashville. She and her band toured the new album across the mid-Atlantic States on an FYE Music Store Tour to promote the single "Heartbreak Train", which charted on Billboard Single Sales for several weeks. She has played many bluegrass festivals across the East Atlantic and was honored to receive the key to the city of Pocahontas Virginia in recognition of her music career and her family's longstanding history in mountain music over the past 150 years. Ali is a member of CMA, SPBGMA, ASCAP and NSAI. Some of Ali's other accomplishments:
. Hearbreak Train was selected as Country Album of the Year Vox Populi by Independent Music Awards sponsored by Musicians Atlas / Borders Music.
. ASCAP songwriting award in the popular / jazz music division.
. Semifinalist in the ISC International Songwriting Competition in the Americana Division for "A Good Woman's Hard To Find" - fun response to Brad Paisley's Fishing Song, "I'm Gonna Miss Her".
. Great American Songwriting Contest - Honorable Mention Award for Heartbreak Train.
. We Are Listening Songwriting Contest - Honorable Mention Award for Heartrbreak Train.
Together, Marc, Chris and Ali have formed the East River Mountain Band.
Band Members
Links
