Lean into the blue: Town Mountain celebrates 20 years
Town Mountain will play Asheville Feb. 8. David Simchock Photography photo
It’s safe to say that the whirlwind sounds and vibrant tones of Town Mountain (now referred to as “Americana”) were ahead of their time when the band first came to fruition in 2005 in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
“Twenty years ago, I wasn’t thinking about anything but pretty girls, big buses and G-runs [on the guitar],” said guitarist Robert Greer. “I certainly wasn’t thinking about being a sustainable small business owner.”
Back then, Town Mountain was (and remains) this captivating sonic blend of country, bluegrass and honky-tonk music. Too loud and rambunctious for old-time bluegrass festivals. Too acoustic to market as a bonafide rock act. And yet, it’s that square peg trying to fit in a round hole vibe that resides at the heart of what makes the group so unique and special — they are simply themselves.
Alongside Greer, there’s mandolinist Phil Barker, fiddler Bobby Britt, bassist Zach Smith and drummer Camry Harris. From taking the stage at back-alley dive bars to the bright lights of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the ongoing journey of Town Mountain is one of pure passion and grit, of this unrelenting thirst for musical discovery coupled with the sacred magic of what it means to perform live.
“To look around the stage during a live performance and see those two dudes right there with me? Well, that’s badass and something I don’t take lightly,” Greer said of his 15-year musical relationship with Barker and Britt. “The continuity that length of run brings doesn’t grow on trees. What a privilege Town Mountain has been and the honor is all mine.”
Smoky Mountain News: Town Mountain turns 20 years old in 2025. What do you think about that number, 20, when you place it against what was, what is and what will be with the band?
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Phil Barker: That’s kind of crazy. I honestly didn’t even realize that until just now. That’s a significant number. For me, it represents the commitment to the craft, years of hard work and thousands of miles traveled. Catching a few breaks and missing our share, as well. Twenty years is a testament to the belief we have in each other and a belief in what we have to say as artists.
SMN: Specifically, what runs through your mind when you reflect on the long, winding road to the here and now?
PB: Off the top of my head, I’m picturing all five of us sleeping on the floor of our buddy’s house in Berkley, California. Or hanging out in an American frontier reenactment camp at a festival in the middle of a forest in Finland. Or picking on the back of a flatbed truck as it drives down the street as part of a “festival” in Nome, Alaska. Or taking the stage at Red Rocks [Amphitheatre in Colorado]. Honestly, it [has been] kind of a blur of adventures and circumstances.
SMN: When you reminisce about the early days of Town Mountain, what vividly sticks out about what the original intent was, where the passion and zest was cultivated from to make a go at this as a career, and what were the initial seeds planted that eventually grew into the band itself?
PB: For me, the intent has always been to play original music with energy and authenticity. From the beginning, we’ve been trying to bring together elements of our favorite styles of music, whether it’s bluegrass, country swing or singer-songwriter and come up with our own voice. And, hopefully, that voice moves the audience and we can make a connection.
SMN: To that, how does the current intent of Town Mountain changed or remained the same compared to the starting line? Especially when you place that current intent against the current state of the haphazard music industry, this rapidly changing sonic landscape in often-choppy waters to properly navigate?
PB: The current lineup definitely has the same core intent, just painted with a broader brush. The addition of drums and pedal steel gives us the chance to continue to challenge ourselves artistically and explore what we’re capable of. It [has] definitely been met with levels of resistance, as change normally is, from some of our listeners, but, for us right now as artists, it [has] been a great evolution.
And as far as our position in the music industry, it definitely feels like we’re outsiders. And that’s fine. We’ll just keep doing what we do and let someone else deal with the labels.
Want to go?
Renowned Americana act Town Mountain will perform at 11:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at The Orange Peel in Asheville.
A special late show following the Billy Strings concert at the nearby Harrah’s Cherokee Center, the gig is ages 18 and over. Doors open at 11 p.m. Tickets are $33 per person.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to theorangepeel.net.
