Steep Canyon Rangers

Origins and Evolution

Hailing from both the Appalachian and Piedmont regions of North Carolina, the Rangers have long held traditional bluegrass paramount, while possessing an exceptional ability to bring it down the mountain, and to incorporate accessible influence from all walks of the region. With the band’s last few albums, they have gained recognition from well beyond the world of bluegrass, earning a reputation as some of the most influential songwriters in Americana today.

New Addition: Aaron Burdett

Newcomer to this ship, Aaron Burdett, brings a soul-stirring element to the Rangers' mastery of mountain music. Burdett is an award-winning singer-songwriter, and a student of folk tradition. He provides a fresh, emotional context to the songbook, which can reach out and touch your heart or slap you in the face, to use the praise of drummer and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Ashworth.

Band Members

Steep Canyon Rangers is made up of:

• Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals
• Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals
• Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals
• Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals
• Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals
• Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals

Career Milestones

Over the band’s esteemed career, the three-time Grammy nominees have released:

1. 14 studio albums
2. Three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin

Additionally, they have been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and appeared on some of music’s biggest stages. In 2013, "Nobody Knows You" won the GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album, while 2012’s "Rare Bird" and 2020’s "North Carolina Songbook" garnered nominations in the same category.