As they begin their tenth year, the South Carolina Broadcasters’ eclectic sound may be harder to categorize than ever. Labels such as old-time, bluegrass, gospel, and folk tell part of the story, but with the Broadcasters the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Their unique brand of American roots music harkens back to the 1930s and ‘40s – a time when country music was inclusive and uncomplicated.

Whatever you choose to call it, there’s no doubting that this trio’s music is dynamic, authentic, and from the heart. No Depression magazine has called the Broadcasters, “a band that tackles tradition in such a way that you feel their very current, present personalities leaping out of the speakers or the stage.” In other words, the Broadcasters inhabit the music they play and make it exciting and accessible.

And it’s no wonder. Banjoist, fiddler, guitarist, vocalist Ivy Sheppard is quick to declare that music is her life. Ivy fell in love with the banjo as a teenager, and soon mastered both clawhammer and two-finger style picking. She spent seven years performing with East Tennessee’s Roan Mountain Hilltoppers before moving to Charleston, South Carolina, where she formed a musical and life partnership with David Sheppard. The two relocated to Mount Airy, North Carolina in 2012, and Ivy began working in radio, first on historic WPAQ - “The Voice of the Blue Ridge” - and later on WBCM Radio Bristol, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, and other stations. Her favorite pastime is collecting obscure recordings of early country music, from which she unearths a treasure trove of great “new” material for the South Carolina Broadcasters.

David Sheppard’s love affair with the guitar began at age twelve. Initially he was captivated by blues and finger-style playing, but once he discovered fiddlers’ conventions such as Galax and Union Grove, he added bluegrass and old-time to his repertoire. By the time Sheppard finished college he was also becoming well versed in the mechanics of the guitar, and in 1977 he opened his own guitar shop. Today he is world-renowned as a luthier and stringed instrument repairman, in addition to being a highly respected guitar player, singer, and songwriter.

Andy Edmonds is a sixth-generation Surry County musician who can play anything with strings. His dad is a Pentecostal preacher and a bluegrass fan, so Andy grew up singing and playing music in church and listening to the traditional sounds of WPAQ in Mount Airy. Already proficient on guitar and banjo, at age thirteen he joined the Smokey Valley Boys and began apprenticing under acclaimed fiddler Benton Flippen. Andy joined the South Carolina Broadcasters in 2015. His talents as a mult-instrumentalist and songwriter have opened up a new world of possibilities for the band. On this recording he plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and bass.

We’ll Sing Once More is the group’s sixth release, and its most polished and mature to date. While much of the material on the Broadcasters’ previous recordings was drawn from traditional sources such as the Carter Family and from bluegrass songwriters like Cullen Galyean and Johnny Williams, We’ll Sing Once More is a showcase for the band’s own outstanding compositions.

David’s originals tend to be beautifully simple, heartfelt, and highly evocative, with arrangements that highlight the group’s hand-in-glove three-part harmonies. “Home to Stay” and “We’ll Sing Once More” are enhanced by what David playfully refers to as “trick singing,” in which the lead and harmony lines are different, yet skillfully intertwined in a way that’s guaranteed to raise the chill-bumps. After Ivy played him an obscure recording with the words, “I want to go where Jesus is,” David adopted the line and the melody and crafted a lovely new song that was perfect for finger-style guitar. The inspiration for the compelling “Evening Bells” came as church bells rang out while David and Ivy were strolling along the streets of Charleston on a Sunday evening

Andy supplies the Broadcasters with much of their original gospel material. Thanks to his many musical influences, his songs embody a wide variety of styles. “The Spirit of Death” is a great a cappella number in the Primitive Baptist tradition, with Andy lining out the verses and special guest Alex Leach providing the baritone harmony. Inspired by the late Mississippi John Hurt, “Don’t Let Nobody Tell You” packs a bluesy punch, with David and Andy trading masterful finger-style guitar licks. Andy uses a creative change of tempo and timing to emphasize the powerful message of “The Coming Days.” He also contributes two new instrumentals -- the lilting old-timey fiddle tune, “Walk Along Charley,” and the full-throttle “Uncle Mike’s Breakdown” – as well as the driving bluegrass love song, “What Am I To Do.” The Broadcasters round out the album with two lesser-known gems from Ivy’s archives: Cecil Surratt’s beautiful “Bright Crystal Sea” and Don Stover’s poignant “Things in Life.”

With this satisfying, well-crafted collection the band takes us on a soulful journey through joy and sadness, faith and fear, love and loss, and ultimately leaves us uplifted. We’ll Sing Once More captures the sincerity, reverence, creativity, virtuosity, and joyful exuberance that the South Carolina Broadcasters bring to every performance.

-Penny Parsons, February 2017