GRAMMY Award-winning bluegrass and Americana ensemble Steep Canyon Rangers have unveiled their forthcoming album, “Next Act”, which will be out on 22nd May 2026 via Yep Roc Records. Recorded by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording, Asheville, NC, and produced by Mike Ashworth and Steep Canyon Rangers, “Next Act” marks a return to the band’s bluegrass roots. The album features guest appearances by the Steve Martin, Edie Brickell and Celia Woodsmith (Della Mae).
Key moments include the title track, showcasing the Rangers’ signature blend of bluegrass and Americana with rootsy storytelling, rich, harmony-laden arrangements, and Aaron Burdett’s lead vocal. Another song ‘Circling the Drain’, was inspired in part by Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “Demon Copperhead”, and creates a sense of precarity and forward momentum, with an opening that immediately establishes danger and unease. You can pre-save/ pre-order “Next Act” via this link.
Formed in North Carolina and shaped equally by the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont, Steep Canyon Rangers—Graham Sharp (banjo, vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin/mandola, vocals), Burdett (guitar, vocals), Nicky Sanders (fiddle, vocals), Mike Ashworth (drums, dobro, guitar, vocals), and Barrett Smith (bass, guitar, vocals)—have long occupied a distinct space in American roots music. From their earliest recordings, the band demonstrated an ability to respect traditional bluegrass forms while encompassing contemporary songwriting, literary influence, and regional storytelling.
The band has released ‘Heart’s the Only Compass’ (feat. Steve Martin), as the third track from “Next Act”. Sharp explains: “It’s natural to look back at history, especially our personal history, and feel like things turned out in a way that makes perfect sense. After hearing some stories of my grandparents’ younger days and seeing people around me learning about their family history through DNA tests, it struck me just how much of a crapshoot it is. When every daily choice seems monumental, it feels good to think that the generations before us didn’t know what they were doing any more than we do. And the best you can do is follow your heart.”
