Spotlight on Breaking Grass

Out of the state of Mississippi comes another musical phenomenon known as Breaking Grass.  

This group of five guys are just about to release their second CD (Running With The Moon) after being well received on their self-titled debut project and the single from that album, “April Rain.” 

The group treats listeners to a fresh sound stemming mostly from original material, strong vocals and innovative musicianship.    Although not quite traditional, Breaking Grass is doing exactly what their name implies. The music they present is without a doubt steeped in the timeless traditions they grew up listening to.

This relatively new band formed with one goal in mind - to make music that all ages could enjoy. They are well on their way to becoming a household name, proving it by recently winning the B.O.R.N. (Band On The Rise Nationally) award in June 2012.

“Running With The Moon” has already produced a single by the same name which was released last week.  The full CD will be available to the public on July 31st.  Prescription Bluegrass thought we’d like to know more about Breaking Grass and you might too so we asked the group’s front man and primary songwriter, Cody Farrar a few questions.

CLICK THE READ MORE LINK TO LISTEN TO A SAMPLE

PB: Let's start with first observations. Breaking Grass demonstrates a great deal of variety while still maintaining a definite “Bluegrass” sound. Where does Breaking Grass' variety come from?

Cody: Our variety probably comes from our individual tastes in music. We all, of course, are "grassers", but we also each have other musical influences in our background. Britt likes rock and country.  Thelton likes western swing and southern gospel.  Zach and Tyler like contemporary and traditional bluegrass and country.  I like anything from Elvis to Ozzy.
 

PB: As an “emerging bluegrass band,” you've just won a peoples choice award – The B.O.R.N. Award from NationalBluegrass.com (June, 2012). There were 4 other groups competing against you – each very capable groups in their own right. What do you thing makes Breaking Grass different from each of them?

Cody: First, let me say we were honored to have won the B.O.R.N. Award. The Roys, Della Mae, The Darell Webb Band and The Hagar Mountain Boys are all amazing talents.  I know we differ from a number of bands out there in that we are the same group at every show.  If you book Breaking Grass, you get Breaking Grass. The same goes for our albums. We write, play and sing our songs. If we hired studio musicians to come in, it wouldn't be us. It might sound better, but..
 

PB: The band's newest album “Running With The Moon” is being released this month. How is it different from the previous album.

Cody: We definitely didn't kill as many people on this album! It's still the different sound we want to be known for, but a little more positive.. More variety. There's gospel. There's swing. There's some fast tunes and some ballads. We still killed a guy too. Or, did he kill himself?
 

PB: Your home state of Mississippi has dubbed it's self as “The Birthplace of America's Music and is home to many well-known musicians, among them are Marty Stuart, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Charlie Pride, Conway Twitty, Carl Jackson Jimmie Rodgers Tammy Wynette and Elvis Presley – all of whom have been honored with a plaque on the Mississippi Country Music Trail. What will Breaking Grass do in the band's future plans to obtain their own plaque on this honored trail?

Cody: You mentioned some pretty amazing people there. It's hard for me to imagine having our own Roadside Marker. Maybe if it were misspelled.. Haha. Our main goal is to make music people enjoy listening to and sharing with others. We would certainly be honored if a plaque were in our future.
 

PB: What is the highest honor or praise you'd like to receive...and from whom?

Cody: That's the easiest question yet. I would like for us to be pleasing to our Maker. God is the reason we can play, sing, worship, breath. When we play our last tune,  my highest honor would be to hear well done.
 

Breaking Grass is comprised of Cody Farrar on guitar; Tyler White on fiddle; Thelton Vanderford on banjo; Zach Wooten on mandolin; and Britt Sheffield on bass.  Read more about Breaking Grass: CLICK HERE

Listen to a sample of "Running With The Moon”