Steep Canyon Rangers Unveil New Song And Announce Tour

Steep Canyon Rangers have released a new song “Next Act,” and the Grammy-winning Americana ensemble are taking it on the road with a 34-date tour kicking off Aug. 16 at Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival in Pennsylvania and concluding March 22, 2026, with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.

An anthem of reinvention, “Next Act” showcases the traits that make the Ranger’s such a popular live act with their blend rootsy storytelling, harmony and musicianship. Written by band members Graham Sharp (banjo and vocals) and Aaron Burdett (guitarist and lead vocals), “Next Act” follows the journey of a woman rising from heartbreak and reclaiming her independence. 

“‘Next Act’ was inspired by a friend of mine I greatly admire,” says Sharp in a release. “I saw her get done wrong in a relationship she had built her life around. She looked her heartbreak in the eye, got to work and moved on to a version of herself that was even wiser and freer. A good reminder that we don’t have to be defined by our past if we’re willing to keep growing.”

In addition to the new single, which is the band’s first new music following 2024’s Live at Greenfield Lake, the band announced a string of dates into 2026. Highlights include  performances with longtime collaborators Steve Martin and Martin Short, as well as six festival appearances: Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, North Carolina Folk Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival and the 19th annual Mountain Song Festival, a Rangers-curated festival benefitting The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County in Brevard, North Carolina.

Steep Canyon Rangers Tour Dates:

Aug. 16 – Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Gettysburg, PA

Aug. 22-23 – Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA*

Sept. 5-6 – Mountain Song Festival, Brevard, NC

Sept. 11 – Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis, MD

Sept.12 – Capitol Theatre, Wheeling, WV

Sept.13 – Bourbon & Beyond, Louisville, KY

Sept. 14 – North Carolina Folk Festival, Greensboro, NC

Sept.19 – The Dome, Virginia Beach, VA*

Sept. 20 – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront, Richmond, VA*

Sept. – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Bristol, TN

Sept. 26 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, Wilmington, NC

Sept. 27 – Knight Theater, Charlotte, NC

Oct. 3 – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL*

Oct. 4 – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, FL*

Oct. 5 – Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL*

Oct. 10-11 – Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV*

Oct. 17 – Charleston Music Hall, Charleston, SC

Oct. 18 – Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival, Manteo, NC

Oct. 24 – Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN*

Oct. 25 – Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN*

Nov. 7-8 – Wang Theatre, Boston, MA*

Nov. 14 – Robert Kirk Walker Theatre, Chattanooga, TN

Nov. 15 – Memorial Hall OTR, Cincinnati, OH

Nov. 21-22 – Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, PA*

Dec. 4 – Palace Theatre, Albany, NY*

Dec. 5 – Toyota Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT*

Jan. 17 – Wright Auditorium, Greenville, NC

Jan. 24 – Main Street Crossing, Tomball, TX

March 5 – The Freight, Berkeley, CA

March 22 – Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville, TN^

* w/ Steve Martin & Martin Short

^ w /Nashville Symphony