Ty Gilpin of Unspoken Tradition on 'Heartwood,' Home, and Working-class Bluegrass

Ty Gilpin is a mandolinist, songwriter and singer for the band Unspoken Tradition, whose sixth studio album, “Heartwood,” is available now. For more than a decade, Unspoken Tradition has built a reputation for bluegrass music that celebrates both the beauty of Western North Carolina and the realities of everyday life here. The band—which also includes Audie McGinnis, Zane McGinnis, Tim Gardner, and Sav Sankaran—has released multiple bluegrass chart-topping songs. “Heartwood,” their latest album from Mountain Home Music Company, is a thoughtful collection of songs old and new that explore themes of work, family, tradition, and the places we call home. It’s available now on music streaming services. In this episode, Ty shares what drew him to the mandolin, how Unspoken Tradition creates music with an undeniable sense of place, and what the term “working-class bluegrass” means to him. We also explore the themes and stories behind several songs from the new album, and hear portions of those tracks along the way. **Unspoken Tradition** unspokentradition.com Listen to Heartwood Follow the band on Facebook Follow the band on Instagram Follow Ty on Instagram **Tracks Featured in this Episode** “Refugee" “Company Man” (Watch a music video) “Barbara Allen” “All The Gold In California” “Rhythm Of The Ridge” **On the Blue Ridge Theme Music** The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio. Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.