Chandler Holt’s musical odyssey began over 20 years ago from the confines of John Teer’s infamous ‘hoopty’. The two long-time friends were riding along when Teer played a bootleg tape of the Bluegrass Album Band from a gig in Myrtle Beach in the early ‘80s. Holt recounts, “Something about it absolutely floored me. J.D. Crowe’s banjo instantly took hold of me and for some crazy reason I thought I could learn how to do that. The very next day I drove to the town of Wendell, NC and bought my first banjo.”
Fast forward to Chandler Holt now stepping into an unfamiliar role: Producer, writer, and arranger of a twelve-song album on Robust Records titled Cover More Ground officially out on November 8, 2019. The material on Cover More Ground touches on many of the same elements as does Chatham County Line, the NC-based band Holt performed with for two decades, yet there is a distinct shift that proves Holt is following his own voice. Songs like ‘Give Your Heart’ and ‘Moving On’ define Holt’s ability to write from a place that isn’t bound by genre. ‘Been Around’, ‘Young Man Lives,’ and ‘Love You Tonight’ seem very personal and expose Holt’s willingness to invite listeners to understand his life from the first person. Couple that with the fact that banjo, guitar, and bass all find their way into Chandler’s hands, and you start to discover the dedication he has to his craft.
Cover More Ground features a stable of great players from both Holt’s new home in Colorado as well as his native North Carolina. The bulk of the project was recorded at Vermillion Road Studios which is owned by renowned Colorado musical fixture and friend Eric Wiggs. Wiggs is featured throughout the record on guitar, mandolin, and dobro. “This record could never have happened without the know-how and brilliant playing from Eric Wiggs. He is an artist in every sense of the word. He knows how to get good sounds and is willing to try new things if he needs to find something better.”
Holt’s NC buddies John Teer and Greg Readling (from Chatham County Line) put their stamp on the project as well as Andrew Marlin (of Mandolin Orange). Cover More Ground is an album that loosely chronicles Holt’s journey in leaving North Carolina for his family’s new home in Colorado. Of this, Chandler says, “Colorado is a wellspring of talent both musically and culturally. There are so many inspiring musicians and songwriters all over the state, and they helped ignite something in me that needed to get out. I’ve found a wonderful home here is so many ways. This record shares plenty of that with the listener.”
Cover More Ground is Chandler Holt’s first album on Robust Records.