This isn’t your granddaddy’s bluegrass. In the ever-evolving realm of acoustic tradition and genre-fluid experimentation, Mountain Grass Unit (MGU)—Drury Anderson (mandolin), Luke Black (guitar), and Josiah Nelson (fiddle)—distinguish themselves through the technical mastery and inventive voice of upright bassist Sam Wilson. At just 22, Wilson bridges bluegrass’s bedrock boom-chick pulse with a bold, cross-genre lexicon. His weapon of choice? A serendipitous thrift-store find: a thunderous 3/4-size Kay bass that anchors the band’s rhythm while propelling their creative edge. 

Rooted in a city forged by jazz grit and iron-ore sweat, MGU’s sound is a chaotic, glorious fusion of bluegrass tradition, country soul, jazz improvisation, and funk so potent it could make George Clinton swap his Mothership for a banjo. Originally formed in middle school as a grunge-rock cover band, the trio has evolved into a genre-defying force. Their 2024 studio EP, Runnin’ From Trouble—produced by Mike Harris and mixed by Morgan Jahnig (both of Old Crow Medicine Show) at Nashville’s Hartland Studios—showcases their range, from the tear-in-your-beer melancholy of “Hey Mama” to the haywire, groove-heavy riffs of “Cicada Song.” Then there’s “Lonesome Dove,” a fiddle-fired epic Drury Anderson penned on a dare, evoking the soundtrack to a moonshine-soaked midnight sprint through a briar patch. 

In April 2025, MGU delivered a limited-edition vinyl pressing of the LP. The A-side features the original tracks, while the B-side ignites with five unreleased live cuts. Highlights include a bluegrass demolition of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song”—with Wilson’s bass snarling like a distorted Telecaster—and a raucous, extended take of fan-favorite “Jericho,” complete with detuned bass drops and fiddle pyrotechnics. 

Fresh off a mind-bending performance at Daniel Donato’s psychedelic Camp Cosmic, MGU will deliver two sets at DelFest this weekend before launching their 50+ date “Runnin’ From Trouble Tour.” From Atlanta’s Terminal West to Los Angeles’ The Mint, to the high-altitude hootenanny of Telluride Bluegrass, the tour promises a marathon of sweat, strings, and Sam Wilson’s thunderous bass lines—the secret weapon holding this bluegrass hurricane together. 

Q&A with Sam Wilson: 

1. The “Runnin’ From Trouble Tour” spans 50+ dates, including iconic venues like Terminal West and festivals like Telluride Bluegrass. As the band’s bassist, how do you physically and mentally prepare for such an intense touring schedule? What unique energy do you hope to bring to these performances? 

When preparing for a long tour, I dedicate a lot of time to practice and hand-strengthening exercises since the physical demands of back-to-back shows can really add up. Mentally, I take time to recharge and ground myself before hitting the road. The schedule can be intense, but the opportunity to see new places and connect with people makes it all incredibly rewarding. On stage, I aim to bring a fun, energetic presence so that everyone in the crowd has just as much fun as I do performing. 

2. Your new LP includes live renditions of tracks like “Train on the Island” and a bluegrass take on Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song.” How did the band approach reimagining these songs live, and what challenges did you face translating rock into a bluegrass context on upright bass? 

Believe it or not, we actually started out as a rock band back in middle school, which is what first inspired us to bring rock songs into a bluegrass setting. One of the biggest challenges in blending the two genres is doing it without drums. I constantly remind myself that, in this context, less is often more — my goal is to provide a strong, steady backbone rather than overplay, letting the groove speak through simplicity to provide opportunities for my bandmates to showcase their instrumentation without loosing that signature train-like drive bluegrass is known for. 

3. Tell us a little bit about your upright – what are the details? Upon playing it, how did you know it was the right one for you? 

The upright I play is a 3/4 size 1966 Kay C-1. I originally found it on Facebook Marketplace, where it had been set up as a touring bass for a rockabilly band. Since then, I’ve made several upgrades to better match my playing style, including a new bridge and the addition of a Realist Woodtone pickup. I’ve experimented with a few different string setups. after spending some time with Helicore strings, I recently switched to Zyex Hybrid Mediums and have been really happy with the tone and feel. Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to play a wide range of uprights while flying to gigs during the school year and renting instruments at each stop. That experience has deepened my appreciation for the versatility of my own bass. As any upright player knows, acoustic instruments are especially sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity; something we constantly deal with on tour across different regions. Fortunately, my Kay consistently holds a warm, punchy tone no matter the conditions. For me, it strikes the perfect balance between function and reliability, everything I need in a touring bass. 

4. Bluegrass traditionally emphasizes acoustic instrumentation and tight harmonies. As the bassist, how do you innovate within these constraints? Are there specific techniques or gear choices (e.g., strings, mic setups) that define your sound in both studio and live settings? 

I like to think of Bass in a bluegrass context as a supporting instrument that builds a strong foundation for the other players to build on. I’m a big fan of a style of bluegrass called MASH, Which has a heavy emphasis on downbeats. I think “Mashing” the downbeats really helps build the energy of any bluegrass song so I try to incorporate it in my playing. I have recently switched to a Neural DSP Quad Cortex which has allowed me to shape the tone of my bass to my liking. In addition, I also have begun to incorporate some effects pedals into our live performance which is not super common in the bluegrass world. I’ve always been a bit technologically challenged but I’m starting to get the hang of this whole digital board thing and having a great time doing it. Overall I try to go for a large thick tone and with the incorporation of effects my bass fits more into the progressive bluegrass category. 

5. The LP’s Side B captures raw live energy. How does performing live shape your bass lines compared to studio recordings? Do you leave room for improvisation, or are parts meticulously arranged? 

While we do have many arrangements involved in our live performance we also leave a lot of room for improvisation. We like to create transitions that lead one song into another but often leave it up to improv to get us there. We often just choose our point A and B of getting from one song to the next and leave the in between unplanned. The spontaneous unplanned nuances of live music is what makes it so special. Overall I would say our live performances reflect a lot of improvisation supported by structured arrangements. 

6. Mountain Grass Unit’s sound bridges Tony Rice’s tradition and Billy Strings’ modernity. How does the band navigate honoring bluegrass roots while pushing boundaries? Can you highlight a track where the bass plays a pivotal role in this balance? 

We like to play a good mix of traditional and modern bluegrass songs during our live performances. We often combine a traditional song or fiddle tune with a heavy jam to appeal to both sides of bluegrass fans. One song of ours that highlights this balance on bass is Jericho. The track has a modern sounding intro that is complemented by grassy feeling verses and choruses that lead into another modern Jam. On bass more specifically, the track has a balance of the traditional one and five bluegrass beat that then breaks into a funky sounding jam. 

7. The tour includes diverse settings, from massive festivals to intimate theaters like The Mint. How does your performance approach shift between these environments, especially as the rhythmic anchor of the group? 

I try to play to the crowd and adapt my playing to the energy of the crowd at each venue. I approach intimate theaters in a more reserved approach meaning that I am more meticulous of my playing due to the attentiveness of the crowd. Festivals on the hand, I tend to play a little 

more energetically to match the enthusiasm of a festival environment. Crowd energy is the number one thing that affects the way I play throughout a show. My playing style is dependent on the vibes and can change a lot from venue to venue. 

8. Your 2024 EP Runnin’ From Trouble was praised for its “heft of arrangements.” How does the band’s songwriting process work, and what’s your role in crafting those foundational bass parts? Also, we hear you’re a songwriter– tell us a little bit about the songs you wrote on the EP? 

The songwriting process for this EP was definitely a bit unconventional. Over the past four years, all of us were attending college in different parts of the country, which made collaborating in person nearly impossible. Normally, one of us will write about 50–75% of a song, record a rough version as a voice memo on their iPhone, and text it to the group. From there, we share feedback, bounce ideas back and forth, and keep refining the track remotely through voice memos until we’re finally able to meet up in person. Once we’re all together, we flesh out the arrangement and bring the song to life as a band.I wrote two of the songs on the EP: Cicada Song and Boxcar. My personal writing style is a little chaotic. I usually just wait for inspiration to hit. With Cicada Song, I had been wanting to capture the feeling of sitting around a bonfire at the lake I grew up going to in the summer. I had a melody and a verse written, but the chorus just wasn’t coming together. Then one night, while hanging out with some friends, I met a guy whose nickname was “Cicada.” For some reason, that word really stuck with me. I suddenly realized that the sound of cicadas is one of the most iconic and nostalgic parts of southern summer nights. That was the missing piece. I went home and finished the rest of the song the next day. 

9. The vinyl release is highly sought after and selling well! Why was pressing this LP important to the band, and what does vinyl mean to you in an era of digital streaming? 

We can’t begin to express how much we appreciate the overwhelmingly positive response to the vinyl so far. It’s been amazing to see people sharing videos and moments of themselves listening to our music. Pressing our music to vinyl has always been a dream of ours. Luke Drury and I started Mountain Grass Unit back in middle school, and when we weren’t playing music, we’d spend hours in Luke’s basement spinning vinyl records. Even now, hitting up local record stores is one of our favorite things to do on off days while we’re on tour. Being able to release our own vinyl, especially one that includes live tracks, is a true bucket list moment for us. We’re incredibly proud of how it turned out. 

10. Beyond the summer tour, you’ve announced dates like Strings and Sol in Mexico. What’s next for Mountain Grass Unit? Are there new projects, collaborations, or even a full-length album on the horizon? 

As of this spring, Luke Drury and I are officially joining Josiah as college graduates. For the first time, Mountain Grass Unit will be able to tour year-round, which is something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. We’ve each been writing individually over the past few months, and after we wrap up our summer tour, we’re planning to move to Nashville to focus full-time on the band. The goal is to keep writing, get into the studio, and continue building on the momentum we’ve created. While there’s still a lot up in the air, one thing we do know is that this next chapter feels like the real beginning and we’ve got some exciting things in store for 2026. 

For more visit: mountaingrassunit.com