Heading for the Mountains
Big Country Bluegrass
Record Label:
Rebel Records
Songwriter:
Shelby Jewell
Song Time:
3:25
ISRC Number:
Featured Artist:
Contact:
Website:
Musicians
Eddie Gill: Guitar, Lead Vocal
Teresa Sells: Guitar, Tenor Vocal
Tommy Sells: Mandolin
Billy Hawks: Fiddle
Daniel Martin: Banjo
Tony King: Bass
About The Song
Charlottesville, VA (February 21, 2025)—Big Country Bluegrass, one of traditional bluegrass music's most enduring voices, returns with their new single "Heading for the Mountains." The spirited track showcases the warmth and authenticity that has defined the band for nearly four decades.
The dynamic interpretation of this obscure number, originally recorded by The Bluegrass Kinsman, features the masterful interplay between Eddie Gill's resonant lead vocals and Teresa Sells' harmonies on the chorus, a banjo-driven duet reminiscent of the 1940s. Bandleader Tommy Sells hand-picked the single to capture the pure joy of traditional bluegrass and that joy shines through every note.
"Back in 1989 when I heard The Bluegrass Kinsman perform this song, I immediately fell in love with it," recalls Sells. "When it came time to look for music for this album, I dusted off my recording and played it for the band. They loved it too and so here we are! 'Heading for the Mountains,' an upbeat song, is a great fit for Eddie Gill's distinctive tenor and makes for a memorable duet when my wife Teresa Sells joins him on the chorus. And like the chorus says, 'the city life is not for me'.”
“Heading for the Mountains” sets the tone for the much-anticipated release of Carry Me Back To The Bluegrass, set for launch on March 28 via Rebel Records. Featuring 12 tracks that feel like family heirlooms passed down through generations, the album reimagines classics from Jimmie Davis, Carter & Ralph Stanley, and Tom T. & Dixie Hall, among other greats. "This music is in our blood," Tommy Sells shares with a warmth that comes from decades of dedication, "and when it's in your blood, you gotta get it out!"
Kyle Cantrell of BanjoRadio notes: "21 albums. 38 years. There aren't many bands in American entertainment with that kind of record or staying power. But Big Country Bluegrass is one of those rare cases where the sheer 'realness' of the music shines right through."
With "Heading for the Mountains" and Carry Me Back To The Bluegrass, Big Country Bluegrass reminds us why they're not just a band of exceptional performers, but keepers of a precious musical flame.
Lyrics
So I’m heading for the mountains and I’m going back today,
This city life is not the place for me.
To the hills of old Virginia, I am going back to stay,
With my friends and kinfolks, happy I will be.
When I left southwest Virginia it was ten long years ago,
And I headed north employment to find.
But those big industrial cities are for others not for me,
And today I’m leaving all of it behind.
They say the red buds are in blossom and the dogwoods will be soon,
And last night I thought I heard a bob white call.
In the meadow just below the barn I heard him sing his song,
Calling me back to the grandeur of it all.
So I’m heading for the mountains and I’m going back today,
This city life is not the place for me.
To the hills of old Virginia, I am going back to stay,
With my friends and kinfolks, happy I will be.
As the sun comes up the rooster crows I waken to the dawn,
And look upon the valley down below.
While the cows graze on the hillside and the air is fresh and clean,
From this mountainside I never more will roam.
So I’m heading for the mountains and I’m going back today,
This city life is not the place for me.
To the hills of old Virginia, I am going back to stay,
With my friends and kinfolks, happy I will be.
So I’m heading for the mountains and I’m going back today,
This city life is not the place for me.
To the hills of old Virginia, I am going back to stay,
With my friends and kinfolks, happy I will be.