News
How a Muse Gets By
- Released
- August 7, 2026
- Style
- Progressive Bluegrass
- Record label
- Full Cord Records
- Year
- 2026
- Featured
- Billy Strings
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About the Song
Full Cord and Billy Strings collaborate on second single How a Muse Gets By.
Michigan music glides along as longtime friends Full Cord and Billy Strings release their second single, How a Muse Gets By on August 7, 2026. The track marks the second release from a special two-song 7-inch vinyl record set to debut at the Ionia Freak Fair on August 28.
Loping bluegrass rhythms with joyful, seductive lyrics and an ethereal-toned jam session are the ingredients for How a Muse Gets By. Songwriter Brian Oberlin lopes along on mandolin while guitarist Eric Langejans sings and offers his always solid rhythm. Also singing is fiddler Chase Potter who delivers one of the greatest fiddle solos recorded in 2026. Banjoist Max Allard and bassist Todd Kirchner keep the bounce going throughout the song while guitar wizard Billy Strings plays a sweet-toned solo in the jam session. This track would not have its sweetness without the magic touch of engineer Glenn Brown.
"How a Muse Gets By feat. Billy Strings, was first written and intended as an instrumental fiddle tune called Chasing the Nines, which is in honor to the great Johnny Gimble who would often improvise by using the nine as a pivot note. Soon after I wrote this melody, the lyrics arrived unannounced and definitely have a John Hartford style bounce. The lyric content was first a challenge I put out to a couple of my song-writing friends. They didn't oblige so I tried my hand at the challenge; which is the question, What do Muses do when they are not Musing people? The answers are endless but in this case the moon, universe, Michigan beaches and a lovely lady are prevalent." - Brian Oberlin
Credits
- Songwriter
- Brian Oberlin
- Lead Vocals
- Eric Langejans
- Harmony Vocals
- Chase Potter
- Harmony Vocals
- Brian Oberlin
- Harmony Vocals
- Eric Langejans
- Billy Strings
- Guitar
- Todd Kirchner
- Bass
- Todd Kirchner
- Bass
- Chase Potter
- Fiddle
- Max Allard
- Banjo
- Brian Oberlin
- Mandolin
- Eric Langejans
- Guitar
Full Cord
Progressive Bluegrass
If you’re looking for a band that can honor bluegrass tradition and push it forward without breaking the spell, Full Cord belongs on your short list. Based in Grand Haven, Michigan, Full Cord began in 2008 and took its name from a moment every working band recognizes: an early show pile of instruments that inspired Eric to crack, “Looks like a full cord of wood sitting there.” It’s a fitting origin story for a group that brings real fuel to every stage. That fire caught on nationally in 2022, when Full Cord won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest and followed it by earning the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Award (Band of the Year). The band has continued to build momentum with records that blend high level picking, harmony singing, and modern songwriting sensibilities. Their releases include Choreomania (2019), Hindsight (2021), and the Dark Shadow album Cambium (released November 2023). 2 new songs being released this summer with Billy Strings are sure to grab attention with that Michigan bluegrass relationship between friends. Onstage, Full Cord is anchored by Brian Oberlin (mandolin/vocals), Eric Langejans (guitar/vocals), and Todd Kirchner (bass), expanding into a full, festival-ready sound with top tier fiddle and banjo players recent tours have featured acclaimed banjoist Max Allard and Chase Potter on fiddle.