Grassy Creek Bluegrass Band: Having the Time of Their Lives
- Jason Young
- May 1
- 3 min read
“Our goal is to keep our band going,” explains mandolinist and lead singer Brian Eversole, father of Julia, 16, and David Eversole, 15. The Eversoles, along with friend and Scruggs-style banjo player Ashton Murray, 13, form the family-run Grassy Creek Bluegrass Band.
For those not yet familiar with this band from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, they just recorded their first single, “Weather Girl,” and are thrilled to talk about it.
“I was a little nervous, but it was a lot of fun. Once we got there,” says 16-year-old bassist Julia Eversole, taking part in her first recording session.
Recording at Sound Biscuit Productions,
“We’ve heard some of the bands here locally that recorded with them,” recalls the teen bassist about the Grammy Award-winning studio. “We thought, ‘you know, they're putting out really good stuff.’ So when we were thinking about where to record, we decided to go with [Sound Biscuit]. I think that was a really good decision!”
Most people listening will be surprised.
“We all kind of started together about three years ago,” shares Julia and David’s father, Brian. “I was visiting my father-in-law, and he had a cheap mandolin hanging on the wall.
“I saw it and pulled it down, and I just started playing,” the mandolinist recalls. “My [father-in-law] said, ‘why you don’t take that home with you, I don't have any use for it.’ So I took it home, and within the day, I had learned my first fiddle tune.’”
The Kids Followed
“We had a guitar at the house, and this little ukulele bass,” remembers Brian. Julia picked up the bass and started playing, while David, 15, started playing the guitar. “I just showed them a little thing like ‘Angeline the Baker.’ I think that was the first little easy fiddle tune that we learned together.”
“Soon after, we started going to the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association jams,” Brian recalls. “We never missed a jam—we just played together every single day.”
Going on, “So we haven't really been playing that long, but we've got a lot of trigger [practice] in a short amount of time.”
Megan Eversole, mother of Julia and David, says her husband and kids enjoy each other’s company. “I couldn’t be prouder! Their love for bluegrass, and for each other, shines through every time they play.”
“I keep the household running so they can focus on the music,” Megan says about her role in the band.
New to Bluegrass
“I had grown up around bluegrass, so it was kind of infused in me, same as church music,” explains Brian. “I'd heard bluegrass music a lot, but I didn't spend a lot of time playing it or listening to it. It was kind of an eureka moment.”
Julia joins in, “I heard people talking about Bill Monroe, and I was like, ‘okay, I've got to look this guy up.’ So I looked him up, and I started listening to him, and I heard all of those old songs he did, like ‘Can't You Hear Me Callin’ and ‘Southern Flavor,’ and I just fell in love with [bluegrass].”
David’s Surprising Music Ability
“Tony Rice is a big inspiration for my son David. I would say, ‘how do you know how to play [Tony Rice]?’ [David] said, ‘I pulled it up on my computer and listened to it and figured it out. He's done that with dozens and dozens of Tony Rice breaks,’” explains Brian.
Helps With Harmonies
“He has a special ear for harmony,” Brian shares. “David figures out our vocal harmony parts on his piano; I don't know if we would be able to sing harmony like we do without David, his piano, and his ears.”
Friend Ashton Murray completes the lineup.
“I swear, we played with a lot of banjo players, and Ashton is our favorite,” shares Brian, describing their thirteen-year-old banjo player. “He's got that bluegrass drive behind his banjo.”
The band’s leader says Murray’s playing has good dynamics. “He's really good at being really loud when he needs to be and then really quiet!”
Brian says the band will be going back to the studio to record. “We have quite a few other songs that we're hoping to record this year. ‘Weather Girl’ will be our first release, which is part of that album that we're working on.”
The band, currently traveling in Brian’s F-150 pickup truck, says financial backing is welcomed.
“If signing on with a record label could reduce some of the expenses and make some of the recording process a little easier, that would be appealing to us. Right now it’s for fun. We just kind of do this as a side hustle—it’s a hobby for me and the kids.”
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