New Fire & Fresh Energy for Authentic Unlimited
- Susan Marquez
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Finding a song that puts a band on a winning trajectory is always a blessing.
That’s the case with “Fall in Tennessee,” the song that garnered praise and honors for Authentic Unlimited at the 2024 IBMA Awards.
With the song comes an interesting story of how it came to be recorded. But first, it’s important to understand how Authentic Unlimited came into existence.
“We started the group... and grew into it,” explains founding member and banjo player Eli Johnston.
Growing into it
When Doyle Lawson retired in 2021, three members of his legendary group, Quicksilver, regrouped to create a new band. Eli, bassist Jerry Cole, and fiddler Stephen Burwell formed Authentic Unlimited, eventually recruiting seasoned musicians John Meador on guitar and vocals and Jesse Brock on mandolin to join them.
“I played music with John in Gatlinburg,” says Eli. “Over coffee one day, I asked him about joining Authentic Unlimited. He recorded our first two albums with us, so we knew he was a good fit. Fortunately, he felt it was a good opportunity. After he did another album release with us, we put our trust in him and brought him in as an owner in the band.”
John Meador had done some songwriting with Bob Minner, known for his originals recorded by Special Consensus, Blue Highway, and Dailey & Vincent, among others. “We had talked with Alison Krauss about guesting on a song with us,” says Eli, “but the timing wasn’t right.”
The band wanted to include a guest with a “name,” so to speak. “We had a song John and Bob wrote, ‘Fall in Tennessee,’ that called for a Dobro,” recounts Eli. “I know who my favorite Dobro player is, and when I asked the other band members who they would suggest, they all came up with the same person [as I did]: Jerry Douglas.”
Doyle helped connect them with Flux (as the great Dobro player is known), and he came in to record the song with the band. “That song blew up for us,” says Eli. “We played it at the IBMA Awards Show in 2024, and it was posted online, and it went crazy. We knew it turned out good but never expected this.”
The tune was named IBMA’s Song of the Year and received an award for Music Video of the Year; Authentic Unlimited was named Vocal Group of the Year. So Much for Forever was also nominated for Album of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year with Jerry Douglas.
“It turned out pretty good for us,” says Eli, in a charming understatement.
New fire & energy
Exactly a year ago this month, Colton Baker, formerly with IIIrd Tyme Out, replaced John Meador on guitar and lead and tenor vocals. “Colton has brought new fire to the group,” Eli reports. “He brings a lot of personality, and he pushes us further. I feel like we are really coming into our own. We’re doing more energetic stuff. We love traditional bluegrass, and we love gospel. But now we want to reach beyond the norm.”
In the business of bluegrass music, a sound technician is just as important as any band member. Eli says they are grateful to have the services of sound tech Kevin McKinnon. “Kevin was the sound tech for Doyle for 12 or 13 years. When Doyle retired, we inherited all his gear. He told us to do something good with it. We were so blessed to receive it and to have Kevin working with us.”
This past November, Authentic Unlimited finished recording a new album in Smith County, Virginia, Eli confides. “We rented an Airbnb on Smith County Lake, and the studio was just down the road. We enjoyed living together, cooking together, and making music. We have a full-length album that we are looking to release this summer. We recorded eleven tracks, plus a few extras for the song bank to put out as singles.”
The new album, packed with soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics, is totally different from the band’s four earlier recordings, Eli reports. Infused with fresh new energy, Authentic Unlimited honors traditional bluegrass while bringing an innovative new sound to the mix. True to its name, this band has an endlessly authentic sound that appeals to both old and new generations of bluegrass fans.
“We are rebranding ourselves a little bit as we develop our own distinct sound,” Eli says. “I think people are going to like it.”
Visit Authentic Unlimited online at https://www.authenticunlimitedband.com.
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