Christian Ward: Double Duty Fiddler

Christian Ward

Someday, when Christian Ward is reminiscing, he might remember 2025 as a really big year.

After all, that’s when he joined not one but two of the pre-eminent bands in bluegrass.

Ward is the new fiddler with The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys. The position opened when Ward’s predecessor, Jason Carter, left to pursue a solo career.

“It's a pretty, pretty cool thing,” Ward admits. “I wasn't expecting it. I'd filled in on the Opry a few times, and I've done a couple dates with Del and a couple with The Travelin' McCourys. But I didn't necessarily see this coming.”

Ward grew up in Southern California and took up the fiddle at an early age.

“I started playing when I was about four or five,” Ward explains. “I got a few lessons, and I got a little violin and everything, so I knew that's what I wanted to play, but I didn't really take it too seriously until I was about nine.”

Early on, he was surrounded by bluegrass. His stepfather, Eric Uglum, is a well-known guitarist, singer, and producer/engineer who was in bands such as Weary Hearts, New Wine, Chris Stuart and Backcountry.

“Pretty much all of my bluegrass was kind of a direct result of his influence since he had been playing all through his teens and adulthood. I don't think I really had any musical aspirations before he came into the picture. He also had a recording studio out of our house so that brought a lot of musicians into my midst,” Ward says.

Among the musicians in that Southern California scene was Grammy winning fiddler Stuart Duncan, who became one of Ward’s early influences.

“His playing really kind of spoke to me. He played quite a bit with my stepdad. And as far as more current players go, Aubrey Haynie had some great solo records that I really liked early on. And then from there I went back and started exploring guys like Bobby Hicks and Kenny Baker and Benny Martin.”

Ward was fiddling in bands by the time he was 13. Along with his brother Austin, a bassist, Ward played with his stepfather in Eric Uglum & Sons and with Chris Stuart and Backcountry.

Ward also had stints with Sierra Hull and Highway 101, Bradford Lee Folk and the Bluegrass Playboys, Rebecca Frazier and Hit and Run, and guest appearances with Billy Strings. Prior to his current gig he was principally a freelancer and gigging with many artists. That requires a musician who can learn a lot of music quickly--a useful skill now as Ward is learning the substantial catalogs of two bands.

“It seems like every time we play a show there's a few more songs that we add in. And Del takes a lot of requests, too, so you never know what he might feel like doing on a given night. It keeps me on my toes for sure.”

In addition to fiddling, Ward is a successful songwriter. “Red Daisy,” which he co-wrote with Jarrod Walker, was the International Bluegrass Music Association Song of the Year in 2022. Billy Strings recorded it.

“Somehow writing a song about a flower and putting that sort of Stanley-esque rhythm and melody to it kind of worked.” Ward says. “I'm pretty sure there wasn't a whole lot of editing on that one. The irony is that we spent all weekend on this other song that never sold and that one probably took us about half an hour to get a demo going.

“That's kind of the thing that keeps me really interested in songwriting. It’s unpredictable. All you can do is show up and try to use your tools. The output that you get from your work doesn't always correlate with how much energy you've expended. There's just something in the air on a given day and it works out and you kinda have to know when to keep working at an idea and keep chipping away at it.”

Before moving to Nashville a few years ago, Ward lived in Birmingham, Ala. It was close enough to Nashville to commute to gigs. While he was there he completed a degree in creative writing at UAB.

“I took some workshops and studied fiction and poetry, and had a mentor who was really influential. I got a lot less serious about my writing in general. And I don't think it's any coincidence that the year that I was finishing up my creative writing studies was the first year that I started writing songs on a more serious level.”

In his new role in both The Del McCoury Band and the Travelin’ McCourys, Ward is not just the new guy--he’s the young guy sharing the stage with artists who for decades have been considered to be some of the best musicians in bluegrass. He says he’s excited about the opportunity.

“I look up to those guys. They're some of the most seasoned bluegrass musicians of all time. I guess I like to think that I bring something to the table creatively. But I just have a ton of respect for how long they have been doing it and the high level that they've been doing it.”