Steve Martin and Alison Brown’s bluegrass reimagining of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”
Steve Martin and Alison Brown continue their musical collaboration with a bluegrass reimagining of Lil Nas X’s smash hit “Old Town Road.” The new single, out today, features bluegrass legends Del McCoury and Dan Tyminski, alongside Ronnie McCoury (mandolin), Stuart Duncan (fiddle) and Garry West (bass).
Martin says: “I’ve always loved the idea of ‘Old Town Road’ as seen through bluegrass eyes.” Brown was immediately intrigued by the idea, but she says, “It’s such a well-known song that my challenge was to come up with an arrangement that would showcase our banjos without giving the song away too soon.” Martin adds, “Fortunately, some of the best bluegrass musicians in the world agreed to join us, and here we are, ready to ride.”
The end result is more than just a cover: Martin wrote new, ‘grass-ified lyrics, layered with a healthy dose of his inimitable humor, and they traded the original’s country trap influences for a banjo-forward bluegrass romp. The outcome is surprisingly natural and completely entertaining.
