The higherMuscadine Bloodlinesoars, the more grounded Charlie Muncaster gets.
Theyve had a platinum single in Porch Swing Angel and another viral hit in Me on You.
Theyve been a preferred arena opener forTurnpike Troubadours.
The Alabama country duo Muscadine Bloodline reinvent themselves yet again on the new album ‘The Coastal Plain.‘Steve Jennings/Gett
And, theyve shared a steady stream of new music with their fans.
The Coastal Plaindropped Friday and marks Muscadines fourth studio album and second in 18 months after 2023sTeenage Dixie.
If there was a phrase for this record, it would be proving ground, Stanton says.
And they were the primary songwriters.
Both were raised in Southern Alabama, and both were heavily influenced in church and by gospel choirs.
A pair of stubborn Southern musicians who both love songwriting, and hunting and fishing, resulted.
They respected each other even before they joined forces and created Muscadine in early 2016.
They wrote a few, including Ginny, which made their 2017 self-titled debut album.
But, more importantly, Muncaster had a show that weekend and invited Stanton to sit in.
There were people in the crowd saying, Yall are killer!
Whats your band name?
Well, we didnt have one!
We were just buddies.
Maybe we should do something about that.
When Stanton and Muncaster were in college, they made music that appealed to college crowds.
Stylistically,The Coastal Plainwill take them further than ever from those roots.
This is not a college-anthem record.
This is one of the strongest country albums of 2024, heavy on introspection and songwriting depth.
Its a love song.
Its asking a girl to go on a date that just happens to be at a Turnpike show.
Its not really a song about how much we love Turnpike, but its in thestyleof a Turnpike song.
Its like The Bird Hunters.
The act of that song is two guys bird hunting, but the song isnt about that.
Its a heartbreak song.
This song is a double-entendre ode to them, in that way.
They also invited Turnpikes Kyle Nix to lay down the fiddle on the song.
Its very John Prine influenced, down to the gut-string guitar, Muncaster says.
Weve never done a song like that.
They dont shy away from the stomping lets-get-it-on energy of Me on You at their electric live shows.
Stanton feels this is Muscadines future.
Honestly,Teenage Dixiefelt like our first record, he says.
It was like our intro to the world.
Wed been a band for eight years, but that felt like, Were starting now.
Theres a lot more gospel and bluegrass influence to this one.
The other side of Muscadines story also involves their Alabama roots.
They are steadfast in a determination to lift up other artists from the state.
They reached out because they are independent, and they are Alabama.
Its the most confident Ive ever felt.
I cant pick a song on it that I dont like.
If you made me take one off tomorrow, I couldnt do it.
