ABOUT the band

Mountain Grass Unit stand at the intersection of bluegrass music's past and future. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, and built around the long-running musical bond between Drury Anderson, Luke Black, Sam Wilson, and Josiah Nelson, the band turns deep roots, stacked harmonies, high-level picking, jam-band freedom, and melody-first songwriting into a sound that honors tradition without standing still.

That sound comes into full focus on Appalachian Smoke, their debut studio album, arriving August 28. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Vance Powell (Jack White, Phish), the record captures the live-wire energy of Mountain Grass Unit’s concerts while pushing confidently into the possibilities of the studio, with performances that bend, breathe, and move like a band in full command of its own language.

After selling out more than 30 shows in 2025, winning IBMA Momentum Band of the Year, and building a following that stretches from bluegrass traditionalists to newgrass fans, jam-band devotees, and a new generation of roots listeners, Mountain Grass Unit have become one of the most exciting young forces in American acoustic music. With a nationwide tour and a Grand Ole Opry debut on the horizon, alongside major festival appearances including Bonnaroo and Railbird, they are carrying bluegrass forward with the fire of a live band, the instincts of lifelong friends, and a future that feels wide open.