With the goal of choosing songs that relate to everyday life and go
“back to the country,” they, along with bandmates Jayd Raines and Josh
Doss, hope to take your mind away from today’s current distractions on
their new self-titled project for Pinecastle Records. They have worked
extremely hard looking for and writing songs they feel will be
different, yet still reflect their heroes’ music from years past.
Tim and Daniel first met in the mid 2000’s when Daniel was performing
with Marty Raybon at IBMA Fan Fest. They had only a short time to
rehearse before they performed their set, but Tim will always remember
his first impression of Daniel: ”He was the best banjo player I had ever
heard and an adamant professional.” Daniel recalls that since first
hearing Tim Raybon, “I have held his vocal abilities as being one of the
best-kept secrets in the music business.” From the beginning they held a
common bond in their love of the Osborne Brothers, Jim and Jesse, and
Bill Monroe; they hit it off and have remained friends ever since.
Tim Raybon has a natural vocal ability that has been described as “real”
– so real that it needs no electronic masking of any sort. His musical
trek began with his dad and brothers in the family band The American
Bluegrass Express when Tim was only eleven. Based in Florida, the band
met with great success throughout the South and afforded Tim the
opportunity to sharpen his skills by playing festivals and concerts that
were shared by some of the greatest legends in Bluegrass music. Tim
will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have played with the
likes of Bill Monroe, the McReynolds, and the Osbornes.
Tim’s talent would soon be recognized far beyond his Florida home as the
lead singer for one of the hottest nightclubs in the country, The Barn.
Tim fronted many shows that featured the premier acts in Country music.
From there he moved on to Nashville and began a career as a demo singer
singing newly written songs many of which would eventually become the
latest hit for the biggest stars in Nashville. 1997 brought a musical
reunion to Tim and his brother Marty that produced the certified gold
hit “Butterfly Kisses.” That same year the Raybon Brothers
were nominated for the CMA Duo of the Year.
Daniel Grindstaff, born and raised in Elizabethton, Tennessee, is
considered to be among the elite of banjo players. Beginning his musical
career at the age of 18, he played the Grand Ole Opry with Jim and
Jesse McReynolds; by the time he was 21, he was also joining the Osborne
brothers on stage. In the fall of 2006, Daniel was touring with Marty
Raybon and remained a significant contributor to Raybon’s studio
recordings and concerts for the next five years. “April’s Fool,”
released in 2007, was a well-received studio album from Grindstaff that
included a plethora of well-respected contributing musicians.
Supported by career experiences that range from various TV and festival
appearances to studio recordings to the stage of the Opry, Daniel
Grindstaff and Tim Raybon have teamed up to create one of the best
sounds to emerge on the bluegrass and country scene in years as the band
MerleMonroe. Watch for their self-titled recording, “Merle Monroe,” on
Pinecastle Records.