Steep Canyon Rangers Share 'Next Act' Video and Extend Tour Into 2026
(Yep Roc Records) GRAMMY Award-winning Americana and bluegrass ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers return with the universally empowering song "Next Act," available today on all streaming platforms.
A stirring anthem of reinvention, "Next Act" showcases the Rangers' signature blend of Americana and bluegrass fire with rootsy storytelling, rich, harmony-laced sound, and soulful musicianship carried by Burdett's commanding lead vocal.
Written by Graham Sharp and Aaron Burdett, "Next Act" follows the journey of a woman rising from heartbreak and reclaiming her independence.
Of the song, Sharp offers: "'Next Act' was inspired by a friend of mine I greatly admire. I saw her get done wrong in a relationship she had built her life around. She looked her heartbreak in the eye, got to work, and moved on to a version of herself that was even wiser and freer. A good reminder that we don't have to be defined by our past if we're willing to keep growing."
Recorded by Julian Dryer, mixed by Derek Studt, and produced by Steep Canyon Rangers, "Next Act" features the Rangers' trademark instrumental brilliance by Aaron Burdett (guitar, lead vocals); Michael Ashworth (percussion, harmony vocals); Mike Guggino (mandola, harmony vocals); Nicky Sanders (fiddle); Barrett Smith (bass); and Graham Sharp (banjo).
Alongside the new single release, the band has announced an extensive run of tour dates stretching into 2026, including high-profile performances with longtime collaborators Steve Martin and Martin Short, as well as six festival appearances--Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, North Carolina Folk Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival and the 19th annual Mountain Song Festival, a band-curated festival benefitting The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County. A complete list of dates is below; tickets are available here.
"Next Act" is the first new music following 2024's Live at Greenfield Lake, the band's first live album of original material. Upon release, it set a record for the most No.1 albums on Billboard's Bluegrass Chart, tying with the Old Crow Medicine Show, and also debuted on a total of six Billboard charts.
As torchbearers of Americana and bluegrass music, the Steep Canyon Rangers have crafted their unique sound for 25 years. Comprising of Graham Sharp (banjo and vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin, mandola and vocals), Aaron Burdett (guitar and vocals), Nicky Sanders (fiddle and vocals), Mike Ashworth (drums, dobro, guitar and vocals), and Barrett Smith (bass, guitar, and vocals), the band's music blends their Appalachian and Piedmont influences, creating a sound that is uniquely their own. The North Carolina Hall of Fame inductees have gained recognition beyond the bluegrass world, with outlets like Rolling Stone recognizing them as "one of the most sought-after groups in Americana, bluegrass, and indie-folk."
Over the band's esteemed career, the three-time Grammy nominees have released 14 studio albums, three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin, been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and appeared on some of music's biggest stages. In 2013, Nobody Knows You won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album, while 2012's Rare Bird Alert and 2020's North Carolina Songbook garnered nominations in the same category.
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