Charlottesville, VA (May 13, 2025)—Rebel Records is proud to announce the upcoming release of Highfalutin Hillbilly, the brand-new album from award-winning bluegrass entertainers The Kody Norris Show, set for worldwide release on June 6, 2025. The album is now available for pre-order, pre-add, and pre-save across all major platforms.
Brimming with the band’s signature blend of high-energy picking, vintage flair, and heartwarming storytelling, Highfalutin Hillbilly delivers the same electrifying experience fans have come to love from The Kody Norris Show’s live performances—now captured in a studio setting with all the charm, grit, and humor intact.
Following a landmark year that included multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and an impressive five SPBGMA Awards, The Kody Norris Show enters this release with momentum and musical confidence to spare. Their third album for Rebel Records is both a celebration of their roots and a showcase of the band’s evolution, with material that’s as entertaining as it is heartfelt.
Opening with a rapid-fire rendition of Leroy Van Dyke's “The Auctioneer,” Highfalutin Hillbilly sets the pace with Kody Norris’s signature fast-talking flair—honed as a student at Auctioneer School during the COVID-19 pause and now delivered with razor-sharp precision. The album also finds space for heartfelt moments, like “In the Circle,” a moving tribute written for Kody by longtime friend and Grand Ole Opry Square Dancer Larry Chunn and inspired by the band’s emotional Grand Ole Opry debut. Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris steps into the spotlight with “Blue Ain’t the Word,” a hard-hitting heartbreak song that showcases her talents as both a vocalist and songwriter. She’s joined by Sister Sadie’s Gena Britt, Jaelee Roberts, and Deanie Richardson on a lively take of “San Antonio Stroll,” adding rich harmony and drive to the Tanya Tucker classic.
Elsewhere, the band tips its hat to tradition with a rousing cover of Jimmy Martin’s “Tennessee,” featuring Charlie Lowman’s deep bass vocals and guest Ron Stewart on fiddle. Jason Barie lends his bow to several tracks, including “Ruby Jane,” Kody’s toe-tapping original featuring soaring twin fiddles with Mary Rachel. The group’s signature humor comes through on Josiah Tyree’s playful spin on Ray Stevens’ “Mississippi Squirrel Revival,” while Kody delivers a spirited performance of Boudleaux Bryant’s “Waitress, Waitress.” The album wraps with “Ramblin’ Around,” a hard-driving closer that puts every member’s talent on display. Highfalutin Hillbilly is a clear reflection of a band in full stride—rooted in tradition, rich in personality, and crafted with confidence.
“We didn’t overthink it,” says frontman Kody Norris. “Highfalutin Hillbilly is just us being ourselves—off-the-cuff, full of heart, and having a dang good time.” |
ABOUT THE KODY NORRIS SHOW While the reigning SPBGMA Entertainers of the Year are known for the rhinestones that shine from their lapels and the fringe that hangs from their collars that seems to conjure up memories of times gone by, The Kody Norris Show is very much directing their gaze forever forward. The four-piece bluegrass band is made up of frontman Kody Norris on guitar, Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris playing both fiddle and mandolin, banjo ace Josiah Tyree, and Charlie Lowman on the bass. The Kody Norris Show’s album All Suited Up (2021) charted at #7 and Rhinestone Revival (2023) at #8 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart, and their trademarked high-energy style delivers an unrivaled live show experience. To date, The Kody Norris Show has performed at the Grand Ole Opry multiple times, leaving the stage with a standing auditorium. In addition, the band has played the Ryman Auditorium, SiriusXM, and other stages worldwide.
ABOUT REBEL RECORDS Rebel Records is the leading independent record label dedicated to promoting and preserving Traditional Bluegrass Music. Rebel’s current roster includes Larry Sparks, Peter Rowan, Big Country Bluegrass, High Fidelity, The Kody Norris Show, Starlett & Big John, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run and Rrinaco. Known for innovation and excellence since 1960, Rebel has introduced many of the most important artists of the genre, from the Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene to Blue Highway, Lonesome River Band and IIIrd Tyme Out. In addition to its cutting edge presence in contemporary Bluegrass, the label has also been a home for legendary traditional artists like Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, Rhonda Vincent and Dave Evans. |
