Della Mae has earned a reputation as one of the most inspiring live bands in the roots/bluegrass music scene. With a GRAMMY nomination and extensive touring under their belts, the multifaceted, all-woman quartet releases a career-defining album titled Magic Accident. Long-time advocates for women in roots music, Della Mae collaborated with producer and banjoist Alison Brown on this project, their first for Nashville-based Compass Records. The result is an album that showcases a band at the peak of its abilities.
The music on Magic Accident draws inspiration from a wide range of roots music, including Americana-influenced songs that echo early Chicks, hard-driving bluegrass romps, and dreamy indie folk-inspired tracks. Della Mae’s vocal strength and instrumental skill shine throughout this mostly original album. It opens with the cosmic title track, written and sung by lead vocalist and guitarist Celia Woodsmith. The song reflects on the passage of time and self-discovery, inspired by a letter Woodsmith wrote at 25 to her future self. “I’m just as holy as the great divide,” Woodsmith writes. “I’m just a small piece of the great mystery. I don’t need to question any of my life.”
Band founder and fiddler Kimber Ludiker draws from the modal Appalachian fiddle tune tradition on “Family Tree,” co-written with the band’s guitarist Avril Smith and singer/songwriter Becky Warren. Musically, the track delivers one of the album’s most decidedly bluegrass moments, with Ludiker’s fiddle propelled by Brown’s banjo, and lyrically explores a meditation on generational trauma — how to recognize the cycle, cope with it, and ultimately break free.
Avril Smith contributes the catchy, anthemic “Out Run ‘Em,” co-written with Caroline Spence and inspired by her young teenage daughter’s newfound passion for long-distance running. The chorus reminds us: “If you go with the crowd, you can't outrun ‘em, Go on ahead and show ‘em something.” At its core, the message reflects Della Mae’s musical mission — to forge your own path, regardless of what others might think or say. That sentiment is echoed on the album’s second track, “My Own Highway.” The lyric emphasizes the idea that women in roots music often have to go on very personal journeys to become the artists they’re meant to be. Woodsmith says: “The song celebrates the importance of knowing your power in deciding your own path, even if it's different from the norm, no matter how many people look at you with questions in their eyes.”
Co-lead vocalist and award-winning bassist Vickie Vaughn shines on the album’s only cover, the Bruce Robison-penned “Lifeline.” With its message of hope amid “the deep dark grind,” it feels perfectly timed for our moment, and Vaughn’s emotionally raw vocal delivery serves the song perfectly. Contributing to the track are Mary Bragg with high harmonies, Jen Gunderman (Sheryl Crow) on accordion, and Jamie Dick on drums.
Since forming in Boston in 2010, Della Mae has demonstrated to the roots music community that a band of all women is more than just a novelty. Their 2013 Rounder Records release, This World Oft Can Be, earned Della Mae their first GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. The same year, the International Bluegrass Music Association named the band Emerging Artist of the Year. Over the years, Della Mae has performed in more than 30 countries representing the U.S. State Department and has played at nearly every major festival on the US roots music circuit, where their high-energy performances energize audiences, inspiring them with the power of their music and message.
