They came dressed to the nines...or was it dressed AT nine...and we are talking AM here. Alright, it wasn't nine, but eleven, and they were raring to go, even though it was still before noon. Quite frankly, it was an auspicious start to our last day of filming at Threadgill's for SXSW. Chatham County Line believes in Sunday Best when they are on stage, and they believe in the power of "gathering around the mic," which allows them to function as a living breathing organism when they perform.

Dave Wilson (guitar, lead vocals), Chandler Hold (banjo), John Teer (mandolin, fiddle) and Greg Readling (bass) have had a categorization problem in the past: Too progressive for bluegrass traditionalists, too rowdy for folk sticklers and yet still thought of by others as too traditional. What's a band to do? Well why not just keep going? Which they are doing, as their 5th album Wildwood drops on July 13th. Honestly, what about this is hard to get? Beautifully crafted lyrics and tunes, solid command of the instruments, and you could take them home to Mother. Here is "Crop Comes In" from the forthcoming CD. See for yourself!

-Jessie Scott