NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. XX, 2024) — Congratulations to The Hillbilly Thomists! The band of Dominican friars from the Order of Preachers' fourth album, Marigold, debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Bluegrass chart following its July 26th release (via Vere Music).

Written and recorded in a Catskill Mountains cabin, the 13-track folk record explores the highs and lows of life, from prayer and confession to holy orders and outlaw living, and was sonically influenced by the stylings of artists including Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, The Rolling Stones, Wilco, and Gillian Welch. Continuing to reflect the vivid, Southern landscape of the band’s unofficial patron, Flannery O’Connor (who coined the phrase “hillbilly Thomist”), the friars constructed an album that is simultaneously old and new, mixing a traditional style with lyrical themes that speak to the enduring trials and triumphs of modern existence.

The band says, "From images of barroom saints to minor prophets, this is an album about grace and sin, rolling on and getting through, hope amidst suffering, and our enduring confidence in providence."

Marigold follows the group’s third studio album Holy Ghost Power (2022), which spent time on the Billboard Bluegrass chart and Amazon’s Best Sellers list, and saw The Hillbilly Thomists embark on an eight-city tour with stops in NYC, Cleveland, and Nashville, where the friars made their Grand Ole Opry debut (watch the performance HERE).

Stream/download Marigold HERE.

Marigold Track Listing:
1. Justify You
2. Marigold
3. Amos
4. Don’t Take It Back
5. Christ Has a Garden
6. When We All Get Together
7. Cypress
8. Saturday Night
9. Heavenly Land
10. Jonah
11. Stand in the Light
12. Good
13. What Did I Do to You

Proceeds from album sales, donations, and merchandise sales support the formation of friars at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., where the Hillbilly Thomists first came together.

The Hillbilly Thomists are on the road supporting the album on the Marigold Tour, bringing Dominican preaching and blazing banjos to the highways and byways of America. Visit www.hillbillythomists.com for details and tickets.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
Aug. 8 - Washington, D.C. - St. Francis Hall
Aug. 10 - New Orleans, LA - St. Mary’s Dominican School
Sept. 24 - South Bend, IN - University of Notre Dame
Sept. 26 - Chicago, IL - Athenaeum Center
Sept. 28 - Washington, D.C. - Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage

Follow The Hillbilly Thomists:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | TikTok | YouTube

About The Hillbilly Thomists:
In 2017, a band of bluegrass-picking Dominican friars decided to record and self-release an album of folk standards, using the name The Hillbilly Thomists. Much to everyone’s surprise, the album reached #3 on the Billboard bluegrass chart, and a musical hobby for these priests transformed into something broader. Over the next few years, they released two more albums and found continued success on the Billboard bluegrass chart and Amazon’s Best Sellers list. Their newest album, Marigold, released July 26 and the fathers are touring in support of the project.

 

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