Raven and Red is a Contemporary Folk-Americana group whose “tight harmonies, adept musicianship, and shifting genres will keep you engaged,” (Glide Magazine). The group is comprised of classically-trained musicians from Georgia and Pennsylvania. Brittany Lynn Jones and brothers Mitchell Lane and Cole King “all already have impressive musical resumes and, more importantly, a ton of talent. On their first full-length album of original material, their harmony vocals are gorgeous throughout, and so are their melodies and violin-, banjolin-, and mandolin-spiced instrumentation,” (No Depression). Their 2018 album, We Rise Up, has been enthusiastically applauded as “one of the best debut country albums of the year,” “a perfect bridge between tradition and modernity,” and an “outstanding debut with razor-sharp and sometimes goosebumps-inducing singing.”
Raven and Red creates music “with heart, soul, abandon, and great care.” Their songwriting style “effortlessly nestles into the timeless tradition of the Trans-Atlantic folk idiom” and is influenced by artists across multiple genres, including Celtic, country, rock, classical, and American folk music. They aspire to reach audiences with “stories wrapped in beautiful, acoustic songs” and “the disarming honesty with which they bring their music” (Lust for Life Magazine). Raven and Red has been compared to such legendary artists as the Eagles, The Stone Poneys, The Byrds, Jim Croce, and John Denver.
We Rise Up was considered for 10 nominations in the 61st Grammy Awards and is currently receiving radio play in over 17 countries on four continents, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The album debuted at #24 on Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Americana Country Albums. The title track, “We Rise Up,” charted #1 for 10 weeks on the Top 50 Contemporary Country Songs.
In 2020, Raven and Red performed as the featured artist for the UMGF’s Martin Guitar Festival in Nazareth, PA. The group was a headliner for the 2018 Dailey & Vincent LandFest in the Mountains and has opened for Grammy Award-nominees Connie Smith and Dailey & Vincent, multi award-winning bluegrass groups Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and The Claire Lynch Band, and Irish pop/Celtic rock band, Screaming Orphans. Raven and Red has performed regularly at the Hilton Nashville Downtown and can be seen on tour around the U.S. and Europe.
In addition to their current repertoire, Raven and Red has expanded into the Celtic music genre with recordings and live performances, headlining several top festivals around the U.S. including the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Stone Mountain Highland Games, Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival, Knox Shamrock Fest™, Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games, Dandridge Scots-Irish Festival, Taste of Scotland Festival, Big Stone Gap Celtic Festival, and others.
Mitchell Lane
Mitchell Lane is an American tenor, guitarist, and songwriter from Atlanta, GA. Mitchell is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he received a B.M. in Vocal Performance. He currently sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus and Nashville Opera. Mitchell made his Nashville Opera debut in their 2019 production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. In 2020, he sang with British-American rock band Foreigner on tour with the Nashville Symphony. He most recently studied voice with Dr. Mark Whatley, Coordinator of Vocal Studies at Belmont University. He has previously studied with Dr. Gregory Broughton, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Georgia, Maestro Fletcher Wolfe, Founding Director of the Atlanta Boy Choir, and renowned tenor Glenn Siebert, Professor of Voice at UNCSA. As a highly sought after soloist, ensemble and choral singer, Mitchell spent four years performing with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute and the Piedmont Chamber Singers in Winston-Salem, NC. He has appeared in such productions as Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda, Puccini’s Turandot, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem, and Otto Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. His solo repertoire includes works in the Italian, French, German, British and Irish traditions. In 2012, he performed with the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Boy Choir in their international concert tour of St. Petersburg, Russia, where he sang in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic, the Royal Imperial Academic Capella, the Winter Palace, and the Peterhof Hermitage Museum. He especially enjoys playing guitar, piano, and singing various styles of music. Mitchell also enjoys film and television, musical theatre, learning new instruments, composing, and attending live concerts.
Brittany Jones
American violinist/fiddler, organist, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, producer and recording artist, Brittany Jones, is from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Organ Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, located in Winston-Salem, NC, where she studied with Dr. Erica Johnson and Dr. Timothy Olsen. In December of 2013, Brittany became the fifteenth graduate to receive a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Bluegrass, Old Time, Country, and Celtic Music Studies, with a minor in Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN, where she graduated cum laude. She has studied Bluegrass fiddling with Hunter Berry and Colleen Trenwith, Old Time and Québécois fiddling with Trae McMaken, Celtic fiddling with Jane MacMorran, mandolin with Adam Steffey, and banjo with Frank Wing. Brittany holds a second Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music with concentrations in Violin Performance, Organ Performance, and Sacred Music from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA, where she studied with Dr. Shelly Moorman-Stahlman. She also studied Injury Prevention Keyboard Technique at Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC, under the direction of world-renowned pianist, Barbara Lister-Sink. From 2001 to 2008, Brittany served as the organist for Salem Lutheran Evangelical Church in Oberlin, PA. Brittany has performed in the orchestra pit for many musicals and operas, and has taught private music lessons and workshops. She has also performed on the stage for countless orchestra concerts, chamber music groups, choirs, recitals, church events, and bands. Brittany enjoys spending her time traveling, hiking, reading, songwriting, and learning new instruments. In addition to violin and pipe organ, she also plays tenor guitar, mandolin, banjolin and piano for Raven and Red.
Cole King
Cole King is a student at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where he studies classical violin performance with Elisabeth Small. Cole graduated from Woodward Academy in College Park, GA, in 2019. He is a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, specializing in bass, mandolin, violin, piano, guitar, and ukulele. He has sung with the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Boy Choir and was often featured as a soloist. In addition to their 2016 tour in British Columbia, Canada, he has performed with the choir across the U.S., including concerts in Los Angeles, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii, and many countries around the world, including Warsaw and Kraków, Poland, St. Petersburg, Russia, Prague and Terezín, Czech Republic, Nova Scotia and Vancouver, Canada. In St. Petersburg, Russia, he was the featured soloist at the Great Hall of the Philharmonic, The Royal Imperial Academic Capella, The Winter Palace, and Peterhof Hermitage Museum. Cole was a violinist in Woodward Academy’s String Machine ensemble. He performed for three consecutive summers with Belmont University’s String Crossings Camp, where he studied with renowned fiddlers, Tammy Rogers King and Buddy Spicher, and violinist, Elisabeth Small. At Woodward Academy, Cole received the Music Award, Physical Education Award, and the Good Citizenship Award. He has also served as a distinguished Page at the State Capitol in Atlanta for several years.
Full Bio, We Rise Up (2018)
“Music found you, and then you found each other” were the words of one fan that accurately described Raven and Red’s story upon hearing the group perform for the first time.
After already having many musical accomplishments individually, Brittany Jones and Mitchell Lane met while attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. Not limited to one style of music, they discovered their shared interest in many different genres alongside classical music. From singing opera and playing the pipe organ to singing folk and country songs with a guitar and a fiddle, Mitchell and Brittany have been collaborating musically since they first met. Upon graduating with her Master’s Degree in Organ Performance in 2011, Brittany decided to continue her education in Bluegrass, Old Time, Country, and Celtic music at East Tennessee State University. While Mitchell continued pursuing his degree in Vocal Performance, he decided to learn the acoustic guitar in order to accompany Brittany at her program’s audition. Together, their musical training has aided them in grasping the detail and sensitivity in music, and it enables them to effectively present those nuances on stage and in the studio. “Just like in classical music, there is an important historical component to folk music and we were immediately drawn to it. After graduating college in 2013, forming Raven and Red was our natural calling as performing musicians,” Mitchell recalls.
Cole King, Mitchell’s youngest brother and 12th grade student at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, GA, soon joined the duo on mandolin and helped to fill out the group’s three-part harmonies. Cole was only 13 years old when he began performing with the band. “I was so excited to be a part of Raven and Red! Brittany and Mitchell were very influential for me musically, and I was ready for anything,” Cole mentions. “As a group, we are very focused on our vocals. We enjoy arranging harmonies and writing melodies that capture the lyrics in our songs,” Brittany says. “Cole’s voice creates a smooth blend, accentuating the harmonies, and his learning to play violin in school translated seamlessly to the mandolin,” Mitchell says.
Mitchell’s lead vocals are exceptionally clear and strong, and with Cole’s harmony as an anchor, Brittany’s rich, mellow voice is the perfect complement to the pure singing heard throughout the album. “We love singing together. Cole and I especially have fun singing harmony. When Mitchell sings a song, his delivery is captivating and makes you believe that what he’s singing is true. I am always amazed by how eloquently he portrays a story through his singing, and his version becomes my instant favorite,” Brittany says.
“We really enjoy following musicians that specialize in acoustic instruments. Mitchell’s acoustic guitar playing helps to drive the rhythm and provide the pulse for our arrangements,” Cole says. “I am very impressed by fingerstyle guitar players. The sound of fingerpicking is beautiful, and we wanted to utilize that aesthetic in the ballads on this album,” says Mitchell.
Brittany uses the fiddle and tenor guitar to weave in and out of the musical phrases, smoothly connecting the songs’ transitions together. Her fiddle playing gives each song what it needs by varying between bold, innovative solo lines and sensitive, lyrical melodies. “The fiddle is an important part of our sound, and it really sets the tone for the band. I think the mandolin helps to add that folk element people want to hear, and nothing sounds quite like it,” Cole says.
Raven and Red combines elements from all of their different musical influences into their songwriting and the songs featured on their latest album, We Rise Up, which was released February 2nd, 2018 on Line Crossing Records. “We find it difficult to really narrow down our style into one particular genre. We have so many influences, from John Denver and Jim Croce to Tim O’Brien to classic rock and back to Bach. We are still learning from each other every day and developing our signature sound. This album is one milestone in our musical journey,” Mitchell says.
“This is our first album of original music. When we began writing, we had no idea how our music was going to progress and develop over time. At the end of 2014, we moved to Nashville and slowly began writing these songs between 2015 and 2017 amidst a busy touring schedule. The writing process came together quicker than we thought it would, and we discovered that we really enjoy writing and the feeling of completing songs,” Mitchell explains. “So many of our musical influences seemed to flow into these songs naturally. We listen to so many different genres, and I think that can be heard within our music. Each song adds its own distinct sound and emotion to this album,” says Brittany. Although We Rise Up blends Americana, folk, classic country, bluegrass, Celtic, and bits of classic rock and pop, Raven and Red has created a sound of their own. “My uncle, Justin Collins, is a phenomenal drummer, and his intricate rhythms add another dimension to our songs. Professor Tall Paul Leech has always been our go-to session guy for groovy bass lines, and he even surprised us with some cello on this record! Their talents are immense, and we appreciate their dedication to help create this album,” Mitchell says.
“We love songs that tell true stories. Many of the songs on this album are inspired by true stories, but even the fictional stories reveal human truths that are familiar to everyone,” explains Brittany.
“Left Me Again” is one such song about the emotional plight of being involved in a love triangle. The story is told from the perspective of a person who knows he is his love’s second choice. “‘Left Me Again’ is a personal favorite of mine. I often say that I wouldn’t change a note or phrase in this song. I think it is the song on the album that best describes our style as songwriters. The music begins with minimal layers and continues to build and intensify throughout the song until it reaches its peak, where it slowly winds back down into a soft and emotional ending. It is the quintessential Raven and Red song,” says Mitchell.
“The album represents a collage of musical ideas and memories we share from traveling and performing together. The first track on the album, ‘Living and Loving You,’ is the first song that we finished writing together,” explains Mitchell. “It describes the feeling of coming to a crossroads in your life and having to make difficult decisions when you don’t feel ready. Do you make a commitment to a loved one and create a life with him or her, or do you pursue your dreams–even if it means having to leave that person behind and risk it all? The song lyrics question the possibility of being able to have it both ways while the music embodies an upbeat, feel-good sensation,” Brittany says.
“After writing the title track, ‘We Rise Up,’ we realized that many of the songs share common themes, including love, heartbreak, admiration, and self-reflection. ‘We Rise Up’ completed the album as the final song. We wanted it to have a positive message that anyone could relate to about overcoming obstacles and struggles and persevering–something everyone has to go through in their lives. We also wanted it to sound catchy and fun at the same time with lots of harmonies and instrumental solos throughout the song,” Mitchell says. “Another theme in the lyrics of this song is ‘the road we all must travel,’ which describes how every person shares the experience of ups and downs while going through life bound to time. Time is always moving forward, and we are moving with it. We hope that our songs will reach fellow music-lovers and those interested in exploring the human condition,” Brittany says.
In the four short years of performing full-time, Raven and Red has opened shows for Grammy Award-nominees Connie Smith and Dailey & Vincent, multi award-winning bluegrass groups Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and The Claire Lynch Band, and Irish pop/Celtic rock band, Screaming Orphans. The group has joined the lineup for the 2018 Dailey & Vincent LandFest in the Mountains, held at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, GA.
