Sideline
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2016 | INDIE
Music
Press
In Their Words: “Troy and I spent hours writing the guitar work for this song. We had so many ideas, and they kept flowing as we worked. We really hadn’t played it in the context of the song with the whole band though. When we brought it to the studio there was an energy that all of the guys were riding on. We laid it down on the second take and knew it was a keeper. It was so live and organic, but tight and strong. It was really awesome to see the whole thing come together.” — Skip Cherryholmes, on playing twin guitars with bandmate Troy Boone - The Bluegrass Situation
Sideline is celebrating their 5th anniversary this weekend with a hometown show in Raleigh, NC. Not bad for a group that formed with a mission to only play a few shows in the fall of each year as their various schedules with other bands allowed.
The band was the brainchild of Steve Dilling, during the time he was playing banjo with IIIrd Tyme Out. Their habit was to take the month of December off, so Steve would book some shows in an around his home near Raleigh during that period each year. He called on some of his best music friends to assist, including Jason Moore, then bass player with Mountain Heart, and his son-in-law, Skip Cherryholmes on guitar, who was playing with several groups at the time. - Bluegrass Today
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Sideline is a pedigreed six-piece powerhouse whose style has set the pace in Bluegrass for over two decades. Founders Steve Dilling (banjo), guitarist Skip Cherryholmes and Jason Moore (bass) can all claim their own historical significance to the genre as members of highly awarded groups, multiple Grand Ole Opry appearances and years of national and international touring. What started as a side project for the seasoned players soon moved to the front and center and they began to record and release albums in earnest. In 2019, Sideline won the IBMA Song Of The Year Award for their hit single, "Thunder Dan."
To listen to Sideline reminds the fan of why so many people fall in love with Bluegrass in the first place; pulse-pounding drive, songs sung from the heart, perfected timing and dynamics as well as a visceral emotion in the rendering. A band that was started as an off-season fun experiment has become a full-time dream team of players and singers, including its latest additions, Zack Arnold (mandolin), Jamie Harper (fiddle) and guitarist Jacob Greer.
Whether live or in the studio, the sextet moves dynamically from well chosen, hard-hitting neo-traditional covers of classic songs to new material, all curated by a band with a perfect sense of who they are and what they have to say. Combine all this with their on-stage energy and finesse as well as their powerful and affecting harmonies, and you have the embodiment of the North Carolina Bluegrass sound. Sideline has released 5 national projects and records for the highly awarded Mountain Home Music Company based near Asheville, NC.
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