Matt Leadbetter

Last Fall, some of East Tennessee’s favorite bluegrass musicians came together to form a new band, Brand New Strings. Randall Massengill (guitar and lead & harmony vocals), Tim Tipton (bass), Mike Ramsey (mandolin and lead & harmony vocals), Stuart Wyrick (banjo and harmony vocals) are pleased to announced their newest member, Matt Leadbetter on Resophonic Guitar and harmony vocals, completing this five-piece traditional bluegrass group.

Brand New Strings is currently recording their first album at The Curve Studio in Cumberland Gap,TN with studio owner and Producer, Steve Gulley. On February 10th the band will perform on the popular WDVX Tuesday Night Shindig concert and in the next few weeks will announce the details of their 2009 tour schedule.

The band members individually seem to have a long history of bluegrass ties, including Tim Tipton, Randall Massengill and Matt Leadbetter all previously toured with Blue Moon Rising – with Tipton being a founding and very influential member of that group for many years. Ramsey and Wyrick performed 14 years with the bluegrass gospel group, New Road, with Massengill also a part of that band for 8 years – also penning several on past New Road recordings. Leadbetter has performed more recently with Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, the Lonesome River Band and Marty Raybon.