Song Premiere: Mighty Poplar, "Grey Eagle"

Roots supergroup Mighty Poplar (banjo player Noam Pikelny, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Greg Garrison, mandolinist Andrew Marlin, fiddler Alex Hargreaves) soars majestically on their exhilarating take on the traditional Appalachian tune “Grey Eagle.” Alex Hargreaves’ long fiddle scrape kicks off it off, leading the way as the band takes flight.

Each instrument swoops and wheels around the tune’s central theme, with Pikelny’s cascading banjo runs twinning and echoing Hargreaves’ fiddle runs. Each musician has the chance to stretch out on their own instrumentals, adding new dimensions to the spiraling tune that climbs higher and higher into the sonic stratosphere. “Grey Eagle” exudes the intimate musical spirit that flows off Mighty Poplar’s self-titled new album, out March 31, on Free Dirt Records.

Alex Hargreaves reflects on the tune: “Exploring the many different interpretations and variations of ‘Grey Eagle’ is a fascinating insight into the minds of some of my favorite fiddlers. With this version, our goal was to incorporate some of those ideas while still keeping it unique and true to Mighty Poplar. The main melody that Noam and I double up on is from Joe Greene’ Fiddle Album, a record that to me is a great example of how bluegrass and Texas-style fiddling can be merged. I sure love playing ‘Grey Eagle’ with these guys, and I hope you enjoy listening to it!”

Mighty Poplar is due March 31; you can pre-order/pre-save it HERE.