Ellington

Mountain Cove Bluegrass Band is exposing bluegrass gospel to a younger crowd with the release of its first album, “New Generation,” on Feb. 5.

“We’ve kind of revived the soul of bluegrass gospel through the younger generation,” said Signal Mountain banjo player Cody Harvey. “You don’t really see teenagers with their own CD playing bluegrass.”

Cody and band members Tyler Martelli, harmonica and mandolin, Colin Mabry, guitar and lead vocals, Mike Holloway, bass, Austin Adkins, guitar, and Will Markham, fiddle, range in age from 14-18.

Recorded at Semco Underground Studios on Mowbray Mountain, Cody said the album features both contemporary and traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel, including covers of Dailey and Vincent, Don Reno and “of course, Rocky Top.”

“The CD took a lot longer than we thought,” said Cody.

He said the band began recording in July and just recently finished due to mixing, photos, graphics and copyrights.

Mountain Cove’s unique style melds bluegrass with a tinge of Memphis blues and rock 'n’ roll, he said.

Cody said at age 5 he started playing banjo and attending the Mountain Opry, where he met band mates and Hixson High School students Tyler and Colin.

He said he started playing at lunch with fellow SMHS students Austin, Will and Mike, whose father Ken Holloway is president of the Mountain Opry.

Mountain Cove was formed after the three recruited Tyler and Colin, and the group now performs all over town and down into Georgia and Alabama at churches, private parties, weddings and club meetings in addition to regular appearances at the Mountain Opry, said Cody.

“Our ultimate goal is to be the main act at the Grand Ole Opry,” said Cody. “We want to be well-known as a band and touch somebody’s life with music.”

As second-place winners in the bluegrass category at the National Fiddlers Jamboree in Smithville, the group is already surpassing players twice their age.