Rounder Records announces that Darin & Brooke Aldridge have inked a deal with Rounder Records. Darin & Brooke Aldridge have joined their highly acclaimed roster and will be releasing a new album for the label in 2019. The duo joins former and ongoing greats like Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Béla Fleck, Hazel Dickens, Dailey & Vincent, The Steep Canyon Rangers,The Steeldrivers, and, more recently, Steve Martin. The Gibson Brothers, and The Lonely Heartstring Band, who have graced the label since its founding in 1970, when three Tufts University students (Ken Irwin, Marian Levy and Bill Nowlin) traveled to Appalachia on collecting expeditions during their vacations
Darin & Brooke have been building their band and their reputation, while burnishing their already significant singing and instrumental skills together since releasing their first album in 2010. Darin began his professional career with Accoustic Syndicate while still in high school, later touring with The Country Gentlemen for nine years and forming a band called the Circuit Riders after Charlie Waller's death. Darin and Brooke Justice met in church near her home in Avery County, NC.
We first met Darin and Brooke in 2008 at a local Cherryville, NC jam held in an quietly well-known weekly jam held in an old, cinder block Bomb Shelter. She was sporting a new engagement ring. Soon after, at a rehearsal of Darin's then current band, The Circuit Riders, who were preparing to open for the James King Band, we first were captivated by the strength and sweetness of this emerging duo and romantic couple.They were married in 2010 Over the early years of their career, we traveled with them at some length, as they sang at a tiny storefront church in North Carolina, as well as a variety of concert halls and bluegrass festivals up and down the East Coast. Long drives, late nights, and hard work turned them into a sublime duo. Brooke's haunting, magical voice, Darin's brilliant instrumentals and strong harmony, along with his vision for a band that didn't yet exist combined with their deep faith and commitment to each other dominated their life.
Local gigs turned into national performances as changes in the band improved it each time they were made, and people noticed their music and their love story. They found new songs, new fans, new musical partners who helped spread the word. They toured with Jimmy Fortune, long-time singer and song-writer with the Statler Brothers, and, more recently John Cowan, lead singer for many years with the New Grass Revival, whom they tour with when he's not performing with the Doobie Brothers. Each album opened new doors, helping them find better ways to showcase themselves as they grew into new roles, performing with grace and charm.
Award nominations began to come as well as performances at the Grand Old Opry. This year, Brooke was awarded her second consecutive IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, a recognition widely popular and richly deserved. Darin was recognized as Mentor of the Year at the IBMA Mentor Awards for his work as a teacher and with the development on ongoing educational efforts of the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, near their home. In the past year they have been featured on the Grand Old Opry over ten times as well as on RFD-TV's Larry's Country Diner. Their work has charted regularly.
Darin & Brooke Aldridge - Someday Soon
Rounder
co-founder Ken Irwin said, ""Darin and Brooke are two of
the most gifted and hard-working young artists in bluegrass. Their
soaring vocals and extraordinarily beautiful harmonies really make
them stand out. After being fans for years, we're excited to have the
opportunity to work with them."
Darin Aldridge added, "As artists, there aren't adequate words to describe the feeling when you realize you get to be a part of a label that has done such extraordinary things within the music industry for so many years and still continues to do them today. We are honored to embark on this new adventure with Rounder and look forward to sharing new music with ALL of our friends in 2019!"
Darin & Brooke Aldridge - Tennessee Flat-Top Box
Brooke wrote to me saying, "It's neat to sit back and think of all we've worked for, the goals we started out with, and the many we've accomplished. We feel extremely blessed."
The move to Rounder Records marks a significant step for Darin & Brooke Aldridge and their band. Rounder's history and their personal journey and love story are a natural fit. What comes next should add luster to their continuing tale.
Darin & Brooke
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