Volume Five 2025
Volume Five, a group that started as a casual jam band in 2008, has grown into one of bluegrass music’s most popular and unique acts. The soulful lead vocals by Mississippi fiddler Glen Harrell and the band’s tight instrumentals and vocal harmony have earned the group two International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards and many nominations from organizations such as the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards, and from the Society and Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA).
In 2010, the band signed with Mountain Fever Records. The label released Down In A Cell, followed by the 2011 release of Children of the Mountain and Run in 2013. In 2014, the label released Volume Five’s well-crafted southern gospel-tinged bluegrass album, The Day We Learned To Fly which earned them nominations for the IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year and another for the IBMA Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year for The Day We Learn To Fly (album), Stacy Richardson and Leroy Drumm (writers), Volume Five (producers).
Continuing with that success, in 2015, Mountain Fever Records released the band’s fifth album on the label titled Voices. Due to their live performance popularity and album success, they received two separate industry award nominations. Volume Five received a Nomination for the 2015 IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year Award and a nomination from the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards for Bluegrass Song of the Year for the song, “Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man.” The successful tune featured guest vocals by Rhonda Vincent on the Dolly Parton cover song.
In 2016, Volume Five’s album, Drifter, made its debut on the Billboard™’ Top 10 Bluegrass Album Chart. This highly successful project, and one of their most-streamed albums, rightfully earned the group two IBMA Awards in 2017. They won the Emerging Artist of the Year Award and the prestigious Song of the Year Award for “I Am A Drifter,” written by Donna Ulisse and Marc Rossi.
In 2018, Volume Five celebrated its 10th anniversary with yet another Billboard™ Top 10 Bluegrass Chart album – Milestones. They followed up with the 2019 release of For Those Who Care To Listen, which includes two #1 hit radio singles (“The Army Vet Song” and “The 15th of October”) on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Song Chart. In addition, a highly viewed video for “The 15th of October” was released. The video was filmed during their recording sessions at one of bluegrass music’s favorite venues – Everett’s Music Barn in Suwanee, Georgia.
Of course, 2020 and 2021 brought many challenges to all of us. Early 2021 just after Volume Five finished recording their album Karma, beloved banjoist Patton Wages suffered a stroke, but continues to improve and make great strides in his recovery. Late in 2021, Mountain Fever Records released the first single, “When Karma Comes Calling,” from that recording session. The song quickly debuted at #1 on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Weekly Song Chart and reached the top spot seven times. In addition, it rapidly moved up the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey Bluegrass Top 30 chart.
In 2022, Karma’s second single, “What I Didn’t Say,” was written by Harrell and is an incredibly moving song about the loss of his parents. The song spent 15 weeks on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20, two months on the Bluegrass Today Monthly Top 20, and three months on the on Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s Top 30. “Losing My Religion” was the third single release from KARMA. The song hit #1 on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Monthly chart in November 2022 and was named in the Bluegrass Today’s Top 50 Songs of 2022. In addition, it spent six months in the publication’s weekly Top 20, reaching as high as #2 four times.
In January 2023, Karma, was officially released and was quickly followed by two more chart tracks, “You Take Me As I Am” and “My Life.” By May, the had another chart topper with “Restless Heart and a Rambler’s Soul,” which hit #1 two times on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Top 20 and #2 on their monthly chart just as the band celebrated their 15th anniversary as a band. In August 2023, Volume Five’s, “Walk Beside Me,” marked the seventh track from Karma to appear on a bluegrass radio chart and the fourth #1 song from the album. The song features harmony vocals by guest Shawn Lane. Chart success for all these tracks came from respected outlets such as Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s National Bluegrass Radio Survey Chart, Bluegrass Today Weekly and Monthly charts, Cashbox Magazine, Roots Music Report’s Top Bluegrass Songs and Albums charts, and others.
In 2023, Volume Five received three 2023 Josie Music Award Nominations including Song of the Year (“Losing My Religion”), Glen Harrell for Musician of the Year (Fiddle), and Jacob Burleson for Musician of the Year (Guitar.) In 2024, the band received four Josie Award Nominations including Glen Harrell for Male Vocalist of the Year (Bluegrass) and Musician of the Year (Fiddle), Jacob Burleson for Music of the Year (Guitar), and Chris Wade for Musician of the Year (Banjo).
“When I put this group together, I knew the style of music I wanted us to play and the goals we wanted to achieve. It was just a matter of finding the right guys who wanted to create their own identity in the industry. I didn’t just want us to be another band that moves onto the scene and is gone in a few years, but one that would have a unique sound that players and listeners would remember for many years to come – one that sounded like no other band in the business,” said Glen Harrell.
Glen Harrell – fiddle, vocals; Jacob Burleson – guitar, vocals; Aaron Ramsey – mandolin; Zach Collier – bass; and Chris Wade – banjo
