Susto Stringband, the collaboration between SUSTO frontman Justin Osborne and the Asheville, North Carolina-based bluegrass group Holler Choir, announced their debut album Susto Stringband: Volume 1 today (February 14). American Songwriter is proud to be the first to report the announcement and the album’s first single “Friends, Lovers, Ex-Lovers: Whatever.” Hear the new down-home rendition of the Susto fan favorite below.
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Osborne has been performing with the Charleston-based rock band SUSTO since 2013. In 2022, after some major life changes, he found himself in Asheville, North Carolina trying to find his place in a new musical scene. During that journey, he attended a handful of open mic nights. That’s where he first heard the earthy tones of Holler Choir. Now, they’ve come together to create a singular musical powerhouse.
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Susto Stringband: Volume 1 features seven new renditions of tracks from Susto’s deep discography and two brand-new songs. Longtime fans of the Charleston rockers will be well-acquainted with “Friends, Lovers, Ex-Lovers: Whatever” but the new rendition takes it to another level.
More About the Debut Susto Stringband Single
“I’m so glad we were able to recut this song because it’s been such a staple of the SUSTO catalog from the beginning,” Justin Osborne said of the new single. “It was written on Valentine’s Day, I believe in 2012. I was making my way through my mid-twenties and navigating life and love and it was originally released on the debut Susto album in 2014,” he recalled. “Since then, it has become a fan favorite. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to give the song a new life with this Susto Stringband version and several years later it has come full circle for me, releasing it on Valentine’s Day 2025.”
“I’m very proud of this rendition we were able to bring to life,” Holler Choir’s Clint Roberts said. “This song has been a mainstay in the hearts of SUSTO fans for quite some time, and it’s clear why, given its fundamental message. Justin has captured something universally relatable in it,” he added. “My goal was to contribute to its timelessness with a string band arrangement that leans more traditional than contemporary, aiming to create something that can’t be pinned to one place or time. I think we managed to do that.”
Album Tracklist and Information
Susto Stringband: Volume 1 will hit digital streaming platforms on March 28 via New West Records. Fans can pre-save the album today via New West Records.
Tracklist:
- “Mt. Caroline”
- “Friends, Lovers, Ex-Lovers: Whatever”
- “Rooster”
- “Acid Boys”
- “Homeboy”
- “Never Losing Me”
- “Double Crown”
- “God of Death”
- “Life Is Suffering”
Susto Stringband Upcoming Live Shows:
- 03/13 & 14—Austin, Texas @ SXSW Music Festival
- 03/29—Charleston, South Carolina @ Charleston Bluegrass Festival
- 06/21—Mount Solon, Virginia @ Red Wing Roots Music Festival
- 07/18—Beech Mountain, North Carolina @ Party on the Mountain
Featured Image by Charles Warren
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