Following their debut release “On the Road,” progressive bluegrass collective Sourwood returns with “Wrong Carolina,” a rhythmically complex and narratively playful second single that blurs the lines between heartbreak and highway maps. The track explores the chaos of mistaken direction – both geographically and emotionally – fueled by one of the band’s most memorable musical arrangements to date.

“It started with this story [that bandmate Liam Lewis] told me,” says frontman Lucas Last, recalling a tour mix-up where Liam‘s band mistakenly arrived at a South Carolina venue – only to find out they were booked at a bar of the same name in North Carolina. “It seemed like a good opportunity for a double entendre, so I mashed together the ideas of the wrong place, wrong time, wrong person.”

The song’s namesake, “Wrong Carolina,” plays with the ambiguity of place and person, letting the title line hit with layered meaning. “We wanted the lyric to feel deliberately unclear – ‘I was in the wrong, Carolina’ vs. ‘I was literally in the wrong Carolina,’” Lucas explains. “It’s simple, but the ambiguity is where the real emotional weight is.”

What can you share with readers about your new project?
Hey, I am Liam Lewis, the mandolinist for Sourwood. This project has been a long time coming. It started back in 2019 and has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Finally getting to hear all the pieces fall into place after working on arrangements by  listening to snippets of chopped up voice memos is a very rewarding feeling. 

How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?
Our second release Wrong Carolina, was one of the first songs that really excited everyone involved in the project: There are cool vocal parts, interesting grooves—we were unreservedly expressing our musical influences throughout the arrangement. Coming from a routine of constant pick-up gigs and playing residencies as sidemen, it felt good to pour a lot of authentic playing into one super charged track.  

What about this single makes you most proud?

Wrong Carolina was written and arranged in a way where each instrument owns a particular rhythmic idea, and when you hear all the interlocking pieces elevates the track as the sum of its parts. I think that’s the core idea of this band – collaboration, free expression, and the melding of many different ideas to make something uniquely ours. 

Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

When it comes to creating music right now, among many of our musical peers, the biggest idea we want to convey is that our music will be a safe space for people who are marginalized and do not get to feel safe in a majority of venues, festivals, and bars. We play a lot of bluegrass and Irish music which happen to be extremely White spaces that benefit regularly from easily accessible music—I just want to broaden that space. 

What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

We all just love music so much, and we are very lucky to have all gotten the chance to collaborate on this record. and bring out the best in each other. There is nothing else like it in the world. 

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why?

Living in Los Angeles, I have gotten to perform with comedians like Paul F. Tompkins (Bojack Horseman, Varietopia) and musicians such as Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers). I would love to work with more comedians on the Dropout platform—they have cultivated one of the coolest and most creative spaces I have ever seen. And for musicians, Paul Brady is such an influence on contemporary Irish music, he is in his late 70’s now and it would be incredible to work with him. He has one of the most incredible voices and an iconic guitar playing style.

What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
The last song I listened to for fun…I had to look in my playlist history because it is typically 50 or so songs I have to learn for gigs throughout the month. “The Diary Of Jane” by Breaking Benjamin was there. I think my partner and I were reminiscing about classic KROQ from the early 2000s. When I’m listening for fun I love Modest Mouse, Animal Collective, Kittel and Co—Records that were from before I played music full time as a job.

Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

The band Sourwood is spread out all over North America. We will be setting a tour in 2026, but if you want to see me perform in the interim I can be found on Instagram @highandsnark or @stepwise_band. Come out and see me and Olivia [fiddle] play around Los Angeles with our other band Stepwise!

I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?
Please continue to stay updated with @sourwoodbluegrass! We have more music coming out and we would love as many people to hear it as possible.