Recently crowned the 2011 State of Mississippi Bluegrass Band
champions, Breaking Grass is making a name for themselves in bluegrass. They
have played alongside many of today’s top Bluegrass and Gospel acts and have
built a devoted fan-base throughout the Southeastern Region. Their fast paced,
high energy, live performances have been wowing crowds for the past 4 years.
Breaking Grass is a 5 piece band of young, talented entertainers who came
together only wanting to perform for the surrounding community, but almost
overnight became a household name throughout the southern states. Tyler White,
who plays fiddle in the band, released his first solo album at age ten and to
date, at age 16, has already been named the Jr. Fiddle Champion for three
states. Tyler’s talents do not end with the fiddle, he also plays guitar and
mandolin, making him a triple threat during live performances. On stand-up bass
is Britt Sheffield. Britt’s tasteful bass playing has gained him praise from top
judges in the Mississippi State Championship. Along with being an exceptional
musician, Sheffield is also known for his unbelievable vocal range. Britt has no
problem taking the lead to cover a Josh Turner song or adding soaring high
harmony to the band’s numerous original songs. Thelton Vanderford plays banjo
and has toured the country with some of Gospel Music’s top acts. Vanderford is
known for his mastery of many stringed instruments also adding the smooth
baritone vocals for Breaking Grass. Handling the mandolin is Zach Wooten, at age
16 he is already making a name for himself in the bluegrass community. Zach was
named the 2011 State of Mississippi mandolin champion which was no surprise for
Breaking Grass fans. Zach’s strong and steady chop along with blistering solo’s
round out the sound of the group. On guitar is Cody Farrar. Farrar is the lead
singer and songwriter of the group. Farrar’s constant smile and love for
spending time with fans has earned him the nickname of “the personality of the
group”.
In June the band released their self-titled, debut album to receptive audiences
and have already gained praise from music critiques on-line. All the songs were
penned by lead singer Cody Farrar and are a strong mix of gospel, break-up songs
and murder ballads. The band’s release party was attended by hundreds of “BG”
fans who anxiously waited in line for signed t shirts and copies of the album.
Breaking Grass is a great choice for festivals, house concerts, worship services
and community events. Don’t let the age fool you. Music is all the boys have
known and they know how to give the crowd their money’s worth.