I chatted with Graham Sharp from Steep Canyon Rangers about their relationship with Steve Martin and their Grammy win.
Talk about your background, where you’re from, etc
I’m from Asheville NC. I’ve been with SCR since the beginning…it’s a little murky, somewhere around 1999. I started playing banjo in college after a knee injury sidelined me from the soccer team, best injury I ever had.
When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
When the Grimsley High School jazz band played at my elementary school i thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Later on I heard Jerry Garcia play the banjo and that was it for me.
How did Steep Canyon Rangers form?
Just college buddies hanging around Chapel Hill, trying to learn this amazing music they called ‘bluegrass.’
Is there a story behind the band name?
Never imagining the band would last longer than a couple weeks, we named ourselves Steep Canyon Rangers off of a bottle of Steep Canyon Stout sitting on the coffee table.
What is the band’s relationship with Steve Martin?
We’ve toured with Steve for 16 years now, and have recorded multiple albums together. Steve writes such great, quirky tunes and we love bringing them to life with him. He’s become a great friend over the years and is so inspiring to be around.
What is your favorite song to perform and why?
Usually the newest is my favorite. We just recorded an album so we have lots of those right now.
You’ve been nominated for three Grammy’s, winning one. What was that like?
It’s pretty surreal to win a Grammy. They award the bluegrass grammy during the daytime awards with all the Americana, blues, jazz, etc. artists so it’s an amazing group to be a part of.
Are you excited about your upcoming show in Annapolis?
We always enjoy playing around the Annapolis area. The band is sounding better than ever and we’re coming in hot!
Steep Canyon Rangers headline Maryland Hall in Annapolis 9/11!