Mile Twelve is in the midst of a world tour supporting a new album produced by Bryan Sutton.
Although the band's sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve expands its horizons on album "City on a Hill." All five band members bring their own influences and observations to the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted and relevant.
If you go
› What: Mile 12 Bluegrass› Where: Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave.› When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4› Admission: $15› For more information: 423-624-5347
Hear that new music when Mile Twelve stops in Barking Legs Theater Thursday, April 4, for a 7:30 p.m. show.
"Original bluegrass music, written and played by young people, is very much alive," says band member Evan Murphy on the band's website. "I hope people take away that songwriting and arranging really matter. It's about the material and playing it in a way that feels honest. This album isn't political in the sense that we're beating people over the head with anything, we just tried to tell stories that feel authentic."
The album title alludes to the imagery of a shining city on a hill, a historical phrase that has often been applied to Boston, where the band got its start. The band takes its name from the mile marker that sits at Boston's southern border on Route 93. It's a road sign they've passed countless times while heading out on tour.
In addition to Murphy on guitar and lead vocals, the lineup includes David Benedict (mandolin), Catherine "BB" Bowness (banjo), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle) and Nate Sabat (bass, lead vocals).
All are credited as songwriters because everyone in the band helped shape the material throughout the writing-and-arranging process.
"We all inspire each other and recognize that everyone has different strengths," Murphy says. "What makes this band so collaborative is that everyone in the band can do something at a really high level. That's the balance. We're all challenging each other."
"City on a Hill" follows multiple IBMA Momentum Awards, which are presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association to emerging bluegrass artists. Mile Twelve won the band category in 2017, shortly before releasing its debut album, "Onwards."
The following year, Keith-Hynes and Benedict secured IBMA Momentum Awards in instrumental categories, while the band earned two major IBMA Award nominations for Emerging Artist and Instrumental Performance of the Year in 2018.