New-er Country Songs for Mandolin?

[AYoder]

Hey folks! I'm looking for some new (2005-today) country songs to play on my mandolin. Not just chords, but songs that use mandolin somewhere in there.

Once I find a good song, I go to Ultimate Guitar and find the special song-extras and such there. Knowing guitar, I'm able to convert the notes.

By the way...some good songs that I already know of are Remember When by Alan Jackson (I don't know, that might be an ancient song, haha!), Time is Love by Josh Turner, and If I Die Young by The Band Perry.

Thanks a lot!

[Marty Henrickson]

Good luck finding many posters here who listen to modern "country" (but no offense if you dig it). I figured out a simple version of Miranda Lambert's "Run Daddy Run" on mandolin, simply because my daughters and I were listening to Songs From District 12 and Beyond, which is a CD of songs inspired by the Hunger Games books, and produced by T-Bone Burnett (of O Brother, Where Art Thou? fame).

Given your ability to translate guitar to mandolin, why not just add mandolin to any song you like?

[AYoder]

Thank you, sir! I guess I've figured out there aren't many mandolin players like me out there. I don't know much more than today's music, considering my age. I've only been playing mandolin for one year now, with no instruction or advice about it. Now knowing what I got myself into, I've realized that it's mostly older folks and older music, no offense, sir. I kind of follow Sierra Hull, because she's the only other younger gal that plays...that I know of!

Well, I easily could do that...but ya know how everybody's always looking for an easy way to find a song with out having to listen to the radio all day long. This, of course, isn't necessary to do. Just thought maybe some folks have their favorites they'd like to share.

Thanks anyways!

[Marty Henrickson]

No offense taken at all (most of the music I listen to is MUCH older than me), and I don't mean to discourage you. But I do think you'd be better served to try to figure out the music you like by ear, and apply the mandolin to it. I'm 41, and I wish I had started developing my ear sooner than I did.

[Jared Heddinger]

I agree that there aren't many posters here that listen to modern-ish country. It's completely respectable though, I understand fully. I'm in the same boat as you are, often wanting to just play whatever I hear on the radio, along with some other lesser known stuff.
Being pretty young I hadn't heard any really good "true" country music, but after being on these boards for awhile its really amazed me. Even though I never thought it possible, the Cafe converted me to a Bluegrass fan! It also engrossed my interest in Celtic and Classical.
If you want to play modern country or even pop/top40s, I'd reccommend just transposing guitar tabs. It's what I've been doing for the past two years of my mandolining and it's worked out fine.

[Marcelyn]

In 2002, Ricky Skaggs put out a compilation CD called Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe. Artists like the Dixie Chicks, Travis Tritt, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and others recorded Monroe tunes in a more modern, country style. Of course, most of the tracks have some mandolin. It doesn't quite fit your time frame, but maybe that would be something you'd like, and it might be a way to get your feet wet by learning a few of the classics.

[allenhopkins]

Diamond Rio is a contemporary country band that includes a mandolin player. Don't listen to them much, don't know if he takes many leads, but you might try listening a bit to their stuff and see what you think.

Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum plays mandolin (and, apparently, octave mandolin) on some of their songs, as you probably already know.

You might also listen to some of the acoustically-oriented recordings by Patty Loveless, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris, where you can often hear excellent bluegrass instrumentation.

[KEB]

Now knowing what I got myself into, I've realized that it's mostly older folks and older music, no offense, sir. I kind of follow Sierra Hull, because she's the only other younger gal that plays...that I know of!

The modern alt country/acoustic music world is actually growing with more young female leads and female musicians all the time. You won't find them on pop-country radio (heck, you're more likely to hear an electronic drum machine and autotuned voice in modern country, but that's for another time). You just have to take a look at the fringes of the music scene.

In addition to Sierra Hull, check out:

Sarah Jaosz - fantastic multi-instrumentalist, including mandolin
Crooked Still - Both guys and girls in this band lead by amazing vocalist A'Oife O'Donnovan
Joy Kills Sorrow - has a male mandolin player, but female lead singer and basist
Rhonda Vincent - not as young as the others, but she's powerful on that mandolin.
Della Mae- has a female mandolin player

None of these have a pop quality to them, but they're loaded with female talent.

[Steve Lavelle]

The group I play with has been delving into the songs of Darrell Scott. A terrific songwriter that country stars have used as a source. he did an album with Tim O'Brien, Real Time, that includes Long Time Gone and another I really like more for the mando content, Walk Beside Me.

[Dobes2TBK]

Band Perry also has a mandolinist - it certainly caught my eye the bit in If I Die Young - altho much of the mando range they seem to do with the fiddle.

[sarai]

No offense taken at all (most of the music I listen to is MUCH older than me), and I don't mean to discourage you. But I do think you'd be better served to try to figure out the music you like by ear, and apply the mandolin to it.

Agreed...

There is a ton of beautiful older music that you can add a newer fresh color to. My favorite songs are older songs relived. The great thing about being a female is that so much older music is from the guys - so when I sing it it's like brand new.

[AYoder]

Thanks you guys for all the advice and reccomendations! I can somewhat agree with a lot of you...I'm not much of a fan of the "pop" type of country. Such as Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, and Gloriana...I have a real hard time calling them country. I really like the Band Perry's music, even though it's kind of pop, because they keep the bluegrassy feel by using the mandolin, banjo, and resonator. Such people as Josh Turner and Brad Paisley also help keep the "country" in radio country. And, no, I will never, ever be a fan of auto-tune. It's quite tacky, if you ask me.

[Blessthissmess]

Hi, I recently got into this whole mandolin thing and I'm a big fan of modern country music, I found groups like Zac Brown band, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, The band perry, Sugarland, Cheyenne Kimball from Gloriana. Then you have artists that includes mandolin like keith urban, darius rucker, taylor swift. Hope you find something, if you figure out some songs could you tell me how to play them, because I'm new and I don't really know how to do that, I'll thank that a lot

[Drew Egerton]

A lot of Alan Jackson's music over the last few years (can't speak to the very most recent since I haven't heard it) has had some mando in there. The "Drive" album I think it was.

There were a few Josh Turner songs that have some neat runs in them (Would You Go With Me for example).

Dierks Bentley did a 'bluegrass' cd but after the reviews I heard I haven't bothered to listen to it. He has done an occasional song with the Del McCoury Band though that I liked.

You could go back to the Dixie Chicks album from like 2002 or so that had some good picking on it from studio musicians like Bryan Suton (not sure who played mando on it).

Balsam Range recorded a CD with John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band...not sure what that's like yet but love BR so might be good.

[KeeshALeash]

I would love the tabs for If I Die Young... I'm fairly new to the instrument scene, and any newer tabs would be great!

[KeeshALeash]

I love that song... "Run, Daddy Run" I'm a big Pistol Annies fan... I'm a singer at heart, but the mandolin has always called to me. I almost sang this song at an audition that I just had in Nashville.

[Cue Zephyr]

I think The Band Perry (like already mentioned) and Little Big Town might have some songs here and there since with both groups one of the band's main members are mandolin players.

There is mandolin on Alan Jackson's latest (2013) album 'The Bluegrass Album'. Great pickers all-round on that one.

I also managed to figure out short mando solos on two Taylor Swift songs, which are 'A Perfectly Good Heart' and Mean. Her most recent album Red doesn't have mandolin on it, just a guitar banjo in the title track.