Some musicians spend their careers trying to figure out where they belong. Darin & Brooke Aldridge seem to have known all along.
The husband-and-wife bluegrass duo has released “Come Alive,” a new single celebrating the Appalachian mountains they call home and the music, family and traditions that have grown alongside them there. The song premiered on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction with Joey Black and digitally through Cowboys & Indians.
Led by Brooke Aldridge’s vocals and the pair’s signature harmonies, “Come Alive” isn’t simply about scenery. The song connects the mountains with family memories, musical traditions and the experiences passed from one generation to another.
“With ‘Come Alive,’ we wanted to capture what the mountains we call home have always meant to us,” Darin and Brooke explain, pointing to family, memories and the music ingrained in their lives as the foundation for the song.
Bluegrass has always understood that geography can become part of the instrumentation. Mountains, churches, front porches and family histories aren’t merely settings for these songs. They’re often the reason the songs exist in the first place.
“Come Alive” arrives as the Aldridges continue supporting Soul Condition, their 11th studio album. The record is nominated for a GMA Dove Award for Bluegrass Country Roots Album of the Year, while their collaboration with John Cowan on “You Don’t Knock” has received an IBMA nomination for Gospel Recording of the Year.
Soul Condition also features appearances from Sonya and Becky Isaacs of The Isaacs and gospel artist Jason Crabb, continuing the duo’s longstanding combination of bluegrass, gospel, faith and traditional storytelling.
Brooke is a four-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, while Darin, a former member of The Country Gentlemen, is a former IBMA Mentor of the Year. Together, they’ve built a career around music that rarely seems interested in chasing whatever Nashville happens to be chasing this week.
With “Come Alive,” they’re looking in the other direction.
Back toward home.
Because sometimes finding inspiration doesn’t require going somewhere new.
Sometimes you just have to remember where the music came from.
Information provided by Darin & Brooke Aldridge’s publicity team.