Biography

missy raines…
A beloved figure in bluegrass and a pioneering force in acoustic music, Missy Raines' adventurous musical spirit has always been her compass. Launching her career with experimental bluegrass outfit Cloud Valley, Raines next toured the country with Eddie and Martha Adcock. Soon she was lending her bass skills to the Masters (Adcock, Kenny Baker, Josh Graves and Jesse McReynolds). Raines joined Claire Lynch's popular Front Porch Band, and developed a successful duo with band mate Jim Hurst. Their CDs and live performances pushed the envelope on how much music two people with two acoustic instruments can make. A stint with the Brother Boys opened Raines' eyes to the value of spontaneity and immediacy in her musical approach.

Missy Raines is now stepping out to make a longtime dream come true: creating a fusion of bluegrass virtuosity, jazz-tinged groove and a song-driven sensibility with a hot band.
o Seven time International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year
o Top 5 Bluegrass Album of the Year (Chicago Tribune)
o Has played with first generation bluegrass greats and with the rising stars of today's bluegrass
o Critically acclaimed playing and singing with the Claire Lynch Band, the Brother Boys, and Jim Hurst & Missy Raines
…and the new hip
Resonator guitarist Michael Witcher, a key player in the California music scene, has logged formative stints with Laurie Lewis, Sean and Sara Watkins, and Jon Brion. At 26, his impressive credits include performing with Peter Rowan and Tony Rice, Dolly Parton, Benmont Tench, Laurel Canyon Ramblers and the Witcher Brothers. Sessions include recordings with Dwight Yoakam, Fernando Ortega, Joan Osborn, and Todd Phillips. Michael brings an L.A. sensibility and all the hip-hop lingo to missy raines and the new hip.

A protégé of Matt Flinner, Ethan Ballinger is making waves in the mandolin world at the ripe old age of 21. The son of the Cluster Pluckers' Dale and Kris Ballinger, Ethan pursued his own path taking up rock and blues electric guitar. Coming full circle, Ethan has now turned to the mandolin to channel the diverse influences of jazz, bluegrass and rock into acoustic music.

Megan McCormick has toured and recorded with Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, and with the everybodyfields. She was featured on the 2006 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year-nominated release, “Back to the Well - Women in Bluegrass” on Blue Circle Records. Megan is a featured guitarist in the September/October 2006 issue of Flatpicking Guitar magazine. The magazine's founder, Dan Miller, is clear about her talents: “I predict that she will not only be a role model for young female players, but for all guitar players regardless of generation or gender."

On the drums, Lee Holland rounds out the quintet with a range of pop and rock influences. A Belmont grad and Nashville native, Lee’s attention to nuance and his powerful drive expand the breadth of the new hip’s singular sound.

From the Nashville Scene June 18, 2008:
Seven time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Raines isn’t resting on her bluegrass laurels. Instead, she’s brought together a startlingly gifted quintet that opts for groove over narrow stylistic consistency. The New Hip’s EP shows off the group’s range, from the melancholy, folk-leaning “Fingernail Moon” to the swinging funk of “Stop, Drop And Wiggle,” which cleaned up in ourstage.com’s JVC Newport Jazz Fest Channel song competition in May. Original guitarist Megan McCormick, who appears on the EP, recently departed the group, but phenom Dillon Hodges has made the transition seamless, and the band’s musical horizons continue to expand. Forget about categories—this is just good stuff, both deep and enormously enjoyable. —JON WEISBERGER