Band Accomplishments

A major turning point came as Eighteen Mile began recording original material with acclaimed bluegrass musician and producer Andy Leftwich. The collaboration helped the musicians further develop their sound and positioned the group for a new chapter in its career.

In 2025, Eighteen Mile signed with Mountain Home Music Company, one of bluegrass music's respected independent record labels. The signing gave the emerging group a national platform and introduced its music to a much broader audience.

The band's debut single, "Above the Clouds," was written and sung by Hallie Ritter. The song is a deeply personal expression of faith, centered on the assurance that God's presence and promises remain constant even when circumstances are uncertain.

"Above the Clouds" quickly captured the attention of bluegrass and gospel radio. The song spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today Gospel Weekly Airplay Chart, establishing Eighteen Mile as a significant new voice in bluegrass gospel.

The song's success also brought the band its first major industry award recognition. In 2026, "Above the Clouds" earned Eighteen Mile its first GMA Dove Award nomination for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year.

For a band whose members had spent years traveling from church to church and performing nearly every weekend, the recognition represented a remarkable milestone. What began with young musicians sharing a love for bluegrass had developed into a nationally recognized career.

Eighteen Mile continued building on that momentum with the release of its debut album, Peace Be Still, on Mountain Home Music Company in 2026. The project showcases the band's evolution as musicians, vocalists, and songwriters, with original material that reflects their individual experiences and shared faith.

The album brings together Eighteen Mile's signature combination of traditional bluegrass instrumentation, tight vocal harmonies, contemporary songwriting, and Gospel-centered lyrics. The result is music that can comfortably find a home on bluegrass, Southern gospel, and Christian radio while remaining firmly rooted in the band's Appalachian and bluegrass influence.