NASHVILLE (BP) – Amid celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, bluegrass band Chosen Road released what they believe is one of the most unique recordings in the band’s 18-year history.
The 13-song album American Morning dropped July 3, featuring more than 50 minutes of new music from the band.
Founding member Jonathan Buckner said the album is a mix of songs that focus on the “values of American life.”
“It’s a collection of songs that celebrate faith in Christ, strong families and freedoms that we hold dear and fight for,” Buckner told Baptist Press.
The songs are strongly focused on the sufficiency of Christ and the hope that can be found in God. There are also clear messages of love, sacrifice and the value of freedom.
The bass playing baritone singer said the band loves helping churches worship as they play concerts, but they also enjoy filling the role of Gospel group in the lineup at bluegrass festivals and county fairs.
“We get a lot of really amazing opportunities to take the church, take the Gospel outside of those four walls and put it on a secular stage and platform,” he said.
Pointing back to the opening days of bluegrass music with the likes of Bill Monroe playing at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, there’s always been a natural flow between secular and sacred in bluegrass music, he said.
Bluegrass audiences are “OK with that because they see it as part of the culture and part of the history,” Buckner said.
One minute, the band is bringing down the house on “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and the next tune, like “That’s a God Thing,” points to the God’s providential work in a family’s life.
Lead singer and mandolin player Zach Alvis has been with Buckner since the band’s birth about 18 years ago. They are both active members of Parkview Baptist Church in Bluefield, Va.
Alvis hopes God will use the new recording to encourage people to go deeper with God.
“Strong families build strong communities, and strong communities build a strong country,” he told Baptist Press. “If these songs help someone draw closer to the Lord, appreciate the freedoms we’ve been given and invest more deeply in their family, then I’d say God has answered our prayers.”
While the full album became available in July, the songs were split into two extended play (EP) releases and shared throughout the first half of 2026.
Buckner said there were two inspirations behind the idea. One was to treat the release like a vinyl record featuring songs on both sides of the album.
The second reason was once the songs were all recorded, there were clearly two pools of songs.
According to Buckner, there was a clear group of songs that “were about Jesus and Jesus in our families,” and the other group was about America.
The band knew some Christians would struggle with how they should approach the country’s milestone anniversary.
Alvis believes the album brings a helpful perspective.
“I hope it reminds Christians that it’s OK to love their country while keeping Christ first,” he said.
He added that he hopes the songs will stir the soul so that people will live out what they believe.
“I believe our nation needs more people who love Jesus, lead their families well and live out their faith every day.”
The recording is available wherever music is streamed or purchased. A limited number of autographed vinyl albums are available Chosen Road’s website.
