NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 23, 2018) - The SteelDrivers announced that Kelvin Damrell has officially joined the group as lead singer and guitarist. The GRAMMY® winning Rounder Records act had a record year in 2017, touring across the country and selling out six shows in Nashville alone. The band shared this message on their Facebook page:
"Hello folks. We have some great news to share tonight. We are officially announcing that Kelvin Damrell will be our new singer and guitar picker! Most of you know that we had to part ways with our long time partner Gary Nichols last year. It took us a while to heal up and get it together. To be honest, we didn’t know for sure if we’d ever be able to replace such a massive talent. But we eventually found this young fella from the hills of Kentucky who can absolutely rock the grass!
Much like G-Ray, Kelvin grew up singing and playing electric guitar in local rock bands. He’s a great musician. His singing is soulful and from the heart with a big dose of bluesy grit. On a personal level Kelvin is a hard working family man with a lovely wife and two young boys
We’re thrilled to have Kelvin join us. We’ve done a handful of shows with KD so far and those who’ve seen him have loved him. He got a rousing standing ovation on his very first show! We hope you will welcome KD into the SteelHead Nation. He rocks Kelvin Damrell y’all."
A native of Berea, Kentucky, Damrell grew up in a family of bluegrass Gospel singers, but he says his father, who worked in construction, is his greatest musical influence. “I started out as a drummer but quickly switched to guitar once I found out my Dad and I could jam together. I found my voice as a child in a little country church. My first song was ‘I'll Fly Away’ sang hidden behind Juanita Hounshell's piano."
Damrell added, "I was a big fan of The SteelDrivers before I got the call. Coming on board with such amazing musicians is an honor and a dream come true."
Only Nashville could give birth to a band like The SteelDrivers - Mike Fleming, Tammy Rogers, Richard Bailey, Brent Truitt and Kelvin Damrell - a talented group of seasoned musicians - each distinguished in his or her own right. The group's bluegrass roots combine with country and soul influences to create a refreshing, decidingly contemporary sound. This is new music with an old feeling. The SteelDrivers released their fourth Rounder Records album The Muscle Shoals Recordings in 2015. The album reached #1 on theBillboard Bluegrass Chart and received a GRAMMY® award for "Best Bluegrass Album." The band will soon be back in the studio to work on their next project.
Catch The SteelDrivers on tour:
February 2 Atlanta, GA
February 3 Birmingham, AL
February 23 Charlotte, NC
March 1 St. Louis, MO
March 2 Memphis, TN
March 3 Fayetteville, AR
March 8 Stoughton, WI
March 9 Minneapolis, MN
March 24 New Orleans, LA
See all upcoming tour dates and buy tickets at www.steeldrivers.com.