Artist profiles: Unspoken Tradition

Unspoken Tradition is a North Carolina bluegrass band inspired by traditional music and other influences. Their material is primarily original and mirrors the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina, where they are based.

The band released an independent debut album, Simple Little Town (2013) that was well received. Their follow-up recording was Miles Between (2015).

In 2015, Unspoken Tradition played the main stage at the historic MerleFest festival and has quickly grown a dedicated following in North Carolina and beyond.

The Unspoken Tradition lineup in 2018 included Audie McGinnis on guitar and vocals; Lee Shuford on bass and vocals; Zane McGinnis on banjo; Ty Gilpin on mandolin and vocals; and Tim Gardner on fiddle and vocals.

In 2021, the band released the single “Back On The Crooked Road” Mountain Home Music Company). Unspoken Tradition featured a new bassist and vocalist named Sav Sankaran.

In February 2022, Unspoken Tradition released the song “Lookout Mountain,” about the repercussions of profit-driven development for rural communities. “Some songs just hit you hard, as this one did me,” said guitarist Audie McGinnis. “The lyrics are almost haunting, and there are so many musical nuances that trigger those emotions we typically keep buried deep; this song accessed all of that for me. When Sav officially joined the group back in 2019, I was excited to integrate some of his catalog — this song included — into our live shows, and I’m thrilled that we’ve recorded it.”

Band members in 2022 included Audie McGinnis on guitar and vocals; Ty Gilpin on mandolin and vocals; Tim Gardner on fiddle and vocals; Sav Sankaran on bass and vocals; and Zane McGinnis on banjo.

In 2022, the band released “Imaginary Lines“.

In January 2023, the band released Weary Town,” a song about a small North Carolina town suffering after a large corporation, one of the largest employers in the area, shut down their operations.

Discography:

Simple Little Town (2013)
Miles Between (2015)
Myths We Tell Our Young (Mountain Home Music Company, 2019)
Imaginary Lines (Mountain Home Music, 2022)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.