By Chuck Dauphin

The critics are raving about On Down the Line, the latest Compass disc from bluegrass heavy-hitters Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper.

The leader of the band says they are humbled by the kind words the project has received. “It’s been really great to have it out,” he tells Billboard. “We’ve gotten a lot of great response to it, and a lot of great reviews. There’s a lot of great original material, and we’re getting a lot of airplay, so it’s been really awesome.”

Cleveland tells Billboard that Flamekeeper (consisting of banjo player Glenn Gibson, Nathan Livers on the mandolin, bass player Tyler Griffith and guitarist Joshua Richards) is a blast to play with on stage. “We have such a great band. With this album, I think we’re establishing our own sound, which I think is something we’ve been working really hard at it.” Having such talented players around helps him to relax and focus on the task at hand. “You don’t have to worry about it. It’s there. All you have to worry about is you.” Read the complete article here!