Biography

Contact Record Label
Sammy Passamano III
Email: Sammy3@the615hideaway.com
Website


For booking or other information, please contact:
Rockheartsbluegrass@gmail.com
401-369-5408

“Unfinished Bridges” is available wherever digital downloads and streaming are available including iTunes and Amazon and streaming on Spotify and Pandora.



Rock Hearts are performing throughout the United States on their Unfinished Bridges Tour - 2024.


Nashville, TN (March 22, 2024) 615 Hideaway Records is pleased to announce new music and the first single “Unfinished Bridges” from Rock Hearts upcoming album Unfinished Bridges coming in 2024.



Written by Mark “Brink” Brinkman and Eric Gnezda, “Unfinished Bridges” is a familiar theme to country and bluegrass music…Love that has fizzled, leaving its stakeholders in the uncharted territory of coming to grips with the fact that the iron bridge that connects the two may not be built to last.



Billy Thibodeau became friendly with Mark “Brink” Brinkman through his involvement with IBMA Leadership and the NAMM shows. Everyone in the band was familiar with Brink’s extraordinary catalog of songs and his six-time IBMA Songwriter of the Year nominations. Through conversation, Brink learned that Rock Hearts were recording and offered a couple song ideas.



Rock Hearts’ Alex MacLeod describes the recording of “Unfinished Bridges”, “Brink and Gnezda’s original delivery were an elemental version, leaving a lot of room for artistic interpretation and license. Rock Hearts was challenged with delivering the song as it was written, but at the same time, rendering it true to the Rock Hearts “style.” The story tells itself nicely with plenty of metaphors and imagery, but the band felt it could use some pep.



When the listener hears the first three fiddle strokes, they’re led to believe it’s going to be a mid-tempo song. But then the band rips into a double-time, while the lyrics are still rendered at a slower pace. The arrangement works beautifully, complimenting the imagery and story line.



Rock Hearts were honored to have recorded a Mark “Brink” Brinkman & Eric Gnezda song and be included in the long and humbling list of successful bands who have covered their music. Feedback from Brink is, ‘We love the cut and hope it will be a big hit for y’all!!’ That’s high praise from such a revered songwriter.”



Produced by Scott Vestal and Rock Hearts and engineer by Scott Vestal, at his Digital Underground Studio, in Greenbriar, Tennessee “Unfinished Bridges” contains performances by Alex MacLeod (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Joe Deetz (Banjo), Billy Thibodeau (Tenor Vocals and Mandolin), Rick Brodsky (Bass) and Austin Scelzo (Fiddle, Baritone Vocals).

ROCK HEARTS BIOGRAPHY

Joe Deetz’s career on banjo spans over 40 years. A New England Bluegrass Boy with Joe Val, Joey has also worked with Frank Wakefield, John Herald, Back Eddy and many others. He has recorded with John Herald, Will Scarlet, the Beach Boys and Carole King. Joey was also featured on the Sesame Street recording of The Garbage Man Blues. His passion for bluegrass is evident in his tasteful yet driving banjo and harmony singing. He lives in Mendon, MA with his wife.

Alex MacLeod grew up in bluegrass. His father and mother, Sandy and Geri, exposed him to the music early on. While his dad Sandy played in the band, his mom clogged with the Ralph Case Cloggers in Maryland. With a classic leading voice and rock-solid rhythm guitar, Alex has served as front man for several bands in the region including Northern Lights, Southern Rhode, Back Eddy, and the Iron Skillet Band. He lives in Charlestown, RI with his wife and four daughters, Raechel, Maicey, Grace, and Piper.

Billy “BT” Thibodeau boasts an undeniable bluegrass pedigree, and he brings his high tenor and lead vocals, along with his fastidious mandolin and splendiferous guitar playing to Rock Hearts. A multi-instrumentalist, Billy has been picking and singing bluegrass for several decades. Cutting his teeth with his Dad, Sam Tidwell and Uncle Bob in the Kennebec Valley Boys, he would later lead his own band, The Bill Thibodeau Band. He has also played with the Descendants of Bluegrass, Bluegrass Supply Company, and Union River Band, just to name a few. Billy currently teaches music and works at Rick’s Music in Cumberland, RI. He lives in Cumberland, RI.

Austin Scelzo was introduced to various fiddle traditions at Mark O’Connor’s early Berklee String Camps, learning from powerhouse players like Billy Contreras, Jason Anick, Casey Dreissen, Jeremy Kittel, Andy Reiner, Bruce Molsky, Mark O’Connor, and Christian Howes. Austin’s Bluegrass journey began with the Western CT based group the “Angry O’Haras”, then later “On the Trail“, with which he recorded fiddle and vocals. Austin is also an active bluegrass community advocate, teaching Wernick Method Jam classes, creating and maintaining the performance venue “Bluegrass Coffeehouse” and launching the Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association.

Rick Brodsky is a multi-instrumentalist who has played within numerous musical genres over the past 35 years. Rick is a regular on the Connecticut/New York bluegrass scene and has played bass for numerous regional and national artists including Jonathan Edwards, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, The Korey Brodsky Band, Stacy Phillips & His Bluegrass Characters, and Laura Orshaw & The New Velvet. You can hear Rick’s bass playing on several of Ben Freed’s highly acclaimed banjo albums and more recently on Korey Brodsky’s 2015 album.