TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Eighteen Mile, the bluegrass gospel group that emerged after years backing evangelist Steve Pettit, will release its debut album for Mountain Home Music Company on June 12. Peace Be Still is now available for pre-save and pre-add on streaming platforms.

The album marks a creative turning point for the group. All but two of its tracks are original compositions, a first for the band.

“As a band of songwriters, this album is special,” said guitarist and vocalist Carson Aaron. “It’s the first project we’ve worked on where we’ve written almost every song.”

The two covers are a reading of Kristyn and Keith Getty’s “Living Waters” and a rendition of Ron Block’s “He’s Holding on to Me.”

The 12-track project was produced by Andy Leftwich and moves between straightforward bluegrass and arrangements drawn from contemporary folk. Themes centre on doubt, faith, fear and the certainty of salvation.

Eighteen Mile has steadily built an audience since releasing its first single, “Above the Clouds,” written by bassist Hallie Ritter. The track has appeared on the Bluegrass Today gospel chart for more than six months. Subsequent singles “What Mercy Means” and “Living Waters” have continued to draw attention to the group.

The title track, written by Aaron and sung by multi-instrumentalist Jack Ritter, features resonator guitarist Rob Ickes, a frequent collaborator of Leftwich’s.

“We know the stories behind each song because they are our stories,” Aaron said. “The common thread through all these songs is the grace of God that has transformed our lives.”

Peace Be Still is available for pre-save now ahead of its June 12 release on Mountain Home Music Company.