Somewhere Far Away, the Silver Anniversary Rounder release from Blue Highway takes the road less traveled. The dozen new songs come from some of the finest songwriters in bluegrass, three of whom happen to be founding members - Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor and Shawn Lane. The opening track by two-time IBMA Songwriter of the Year (2014, 2017) Stafford and frequent collaborator Steve Gulley is about a dying convict dreaming of wide-open spaces, where he can see "Both Ends Of The Train." There's also the wannabe wanderer of the title track "Somewhere Far Away," the Old West outlaw on the run in "Cochise County," and the pioneer family heading to "A Place I've Never Seen." Those classic Western tales, a Blue Highway signature, are echoed by Roger Mason's album art. Of course, in bluegrass, songs that aren't about leaving home are usually about missing it, as in Tim and Bobby Starnes' wistful, "In Texas Tonight" (sweetened by twin fiddles) and Shawn Lane's poignant "Dear Kentucky."

Longevity is a rare thing in bluegrass. As they face their career milestone, everyone in the band is aware that surviving 25 years with four of five original members (Ickes left in 2015 and Gary Hultman joined the band in early 2019) is pretty unique in any style of music. They all agree - keeping yourself entertained and engaged is the most important. It's that creative process that drives Blue Highway. "We wanted to not only play this music, we wanted to add new music to the genre," says Taylor. "You can only play 'Little Girl of Mine in Tennessee' so many times."
"It's the original material, that's what keeps us going," Stafford agrees. "If we didn't have this creative thing happening, I just don't think we'd still be doing it." That's why Somewhere Far Away isn't just a Silver Anniversary celebration: it's the culmination of a quarter century of Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor, Shawn Lane and Jason Burleson sharing stages and studios, honing their collective crafts as uncompromising instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters. Somewhere Far Away is proof Blue Highway is still enjoying the ride.

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