Spring Creek

Rebel Records has signed a recording deal with Colorado bluegrass band Spring Creek, giving it the distinction of being the first act west of the Mississippi River to record for the Virginia-based bluegrass label.

The quartet plays builds its foundation on traditional bluegrass, “with a young, fresh twist,” according to a Rebel press release.

Spring Creek has traveled the country from north to south, gaining a reputation for exuberant performances at house concerts, festivals and clubs. Spring Creek’s creative original songs and meticulous harmony vocals caught the attention of the Charlottesville, Va., bluegrass label.

Spring Creek won band contests at the 2007 Telluride and RockyGrass festivals, making it the first band to win both titles in the same summer. The band’s original Colorado anthem “High Up in the Mountains” also won the Vox Populi Award for Best Americana Song from the Independent Music Awards this year.

“We are thrilled to be working with a dynamic band like Spring Creek,” Mark Freeman of Rebel Records said. “They project a youthful, highly energetic contemporary sound that is fresh yet still very much rooted in tradition. Moreover, for a relatively young group, they already display such a high degree of professionalism. A lot of thought and care goes into everything they do, from their stage show right on down to their Web site and press kits. … I have no doubt they will quickly win over bluegrass audiences everywhere.”

“It’s an honor to be the first band from the west signed to Rebel. They are steeped in tradition, and I’m overwhelmed to be a part of such a rich history,” said upright bass player Jessica Smith.

Others in the group are Alex Johnstone on fiddle and mandolin, guitarist Taylor Sims and banjo player Chris Elliott.

The four studied together at South Plains College in Texas under a program administered by bluegrass notables Alan Munde and Joe Carr.

Spring Creek’s first release on the Rebel label is due out in spring 2009.