Bluegrass wunderkind Liam Purcell and his band Cane Mill Road hit Heist Brewery in NoDa tomorrow night.
Growing up just down the road from Doc Watson, Liam leads Cane Mill Road as they rock the traditional bluegrass standards they were raised on, yet boldly write original music with roots in the fertile grounds of bluegrass, old-time, and Americana. Their powerful arrangements and dynamic stage presence have landed them main stage slots at legendary festivals across the country.
Named Momentum Band of the Year by IBMA in 2019, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road have been recognized as one of the fastest growing bands in the industry. In 2022, Liam turned heads by sweeping the Rockygrass Instrumental Championships on guitar, mandolin, and banjo, becoming the first person in history to do so.
We caught up with Liam this week to answer a few questions before Saturday nights show at Heist.
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ROTW: You grew up 6 miles from Doc Watson’s hometown. Would you call Doc your biggest inspiration to become a bluegrass Picker? Who are some of your other inspirations?
LIAM: I grew up a few miles from Doc Watson, and was fortunate to overlap with him on the earth for a few years!
The first time I saw Doc perform was at the Sugar Grove music festival and although I was too young to fully appreciate the historical context of how important Doc was, I was absolutely inspired as a little kid and wanted nothing more than to be a musician when I grew up! Some other major influences of mine would have to be Sam Bush and Chris Thile.
ROTW: How was the Ice Bridges Festival/Billy Strings pre party last month? It’s incredible what Billy is doing for bluegrass music right now
LIAM: We had a blast last month at the Ice Bridges Fest. Out of all our stops on that tour, it was by far the craziest and most jam packed.
I loved how all the Billy fans formed this temporary community centered around art and music. Later on I was super impressed with Billy’s new set design for 2024 and the real planning and production behind the show in a way nobody has ever seen in bluegrass before.
ROTW: What are the bands plans/goals for 2024?
LIAM: In 2024, we plan on touring several new states, ramping up the number of dates now that I’m graduating, and releasing our first full length album with a record label! I’m super stoked and grateful for everything we’ve got going on and the community we’ve found out there playing our music.
I’ll be moving to Nashville after Boston and can’t wait to collaborate with a lot of musicians there. Going to Berklee has been an incredible experience but I’ll also be grateful for the freedom to tour as much as we’d like. We can’t wait to see folks out there on the road!
Tickets for tomorrow nights show can be purchased HERE
Doors: 7 / Show: 8pm