"My Sisters and Me"

Review by Jennifer Bogart

Category: Music

January 13, 2010

Oh, the sweet fruit of a family with musical roots that is grounded in God’s word!

Gold Heart is a traditional bluegrass trio of sisters who have been playing together from a young age. With all three young women displaying bang on timing with their string instruments, and blending their sweet mid-range voices in three-point harmonies, their latest offering My Sisters and Me is a lovely tribute to the bonds of sisterhood, family, and faith.

Analise Gold plays the mandolin, Jocelyn Gold the guitar, and Shelby Gold the fiddle, while all three switch off in the role of lead vocalist, and various harmony parts ranging through the baritone and tenor ranges. Not only do the siblings display excellent musicianship, and warm, heartfelt singing, but Jocelyn Gold is also a talented songwriter. Most of the songs on the disc flow from her pen – three-quarters to be precise. All of her offerings are solid, but some absolutely shine.

“Never Be Through With Lovin’ You” is a full-bodied love song of unending commitment that comes alive when Analise’ vocals are paired in harmony with Brandon Rickman’s baritone. “Heavenly Home” is the groups’ single acappella offering on the disc, and rings out with sweet, unsullied harmony in supplication to Jesus for guidance through this life. Not only does My Sisters and Me reflect a deep love and appreciation of family ties, but these same familial ties are evidenced in the family management of the group and by father Trent Gold’s performance on the bass in “Miles.”

The remaining quarter consists of covers of songs that contribute to develop the theme of hope for brighter days and sisterly love. Norah Struthers’ “Sister” is a perfect fit for the album, plucking the heartstrings of any woman with a sister, and providing vision for mothers of daughters.

“Chasing Lightning Bugs” by Ashby Frank is an ode to family dependability and of sweet memories of carefree childhood contrasted with the struggles of adult life. The song does sound somewhat more experienced than you’d expect from the youthful trio, with talk of “twenty years ago,” but they perform it well.

From the time Gold Heart’s toe-tapping tunes and all-female vocal harmony first reached my ears, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist My Sisters and Me. I love hearing new artists entering into traditional musical genres with fresh material that springs from their life in Christ.

As a mother of three young girls, I must admit that I’m also sentimentally drawn to the composition of the group members and the albums theme. Sentimentality aside, there’s no arguing the high-energy, vibrant musical performances and earthy vocals the trio has compiled. I certainly recommend that fans of female, faith-based bluegrass indulge in the infectious rhythms of 

"My Sisters and Me".

~ ANNOUNCING ~

2010 WAMMIE Nominees

Gold Heart

 Gold Heart is honored to announce that they have been nominated in the following categories for the 24th Annual Wammie Awards.

WAMA
~Washington Area Music Awards~




Gold Heart
Bluegrass Duo / Group

Never Let Go
Bluegrass Recording


Analise Gold
Bluegrass Vocalist


Shelby Gold
Bluegrass Instrumentalist



Cast your vote below

Vote HERE For the
"Fans Favorite Award"
~Click Above~

We sincerely thank you and appreciate your support!

~Please remember to cast your vote only once~

My Sisters and Me –  2009 

(Rural Rhythm)

Gold Heart

Reviewed by Greg Yost

CDs by Gold Heart

·         My Sisters and Me (2009)

(Click on the link above)

·      

There's an old adage that says nothing beats family harmony, and the teenage sister act Gold Heart is out to prove it with its third studio release and label debut. Hailing from Virginia, Analise (mandolin), Jocelyn (guitar) and Shelby Gold (fiddle) impress with these 12 bluegrass tunes, including 9 originals, showcasing exceptional harmony vocals as well as their individual talents as instrumentalists.

Raised in a musical family, the three sisters have been performing for years, and all three have been recognized for their musical and vocal chops at competitions. Jocelyn, the group's primary songwriter, was 1 of 12 finalists in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriters Contest at the annual MerleFest musical gathering in North Carolina.

Produced by Justin Carbone of Special Consensus fame, some of the most notable tracks include the peppy Shining Down On Me, Chasing Lightning Bugs, a single-worthy track written by Carbone's old Special Consensus mate Ashby Frank, and Sister, a song by Nora Jane Struthers that captures the spirit of what this group is all about.

The three-part a cappella gospel of Heavenly Home, co-penned by Jocelyn Gold and Carbone, is one of the most memorable tracks and a shining example of the group's vocal prowess.

http://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=4260

Gold Heart is thrilled to announce that "Grin and Bear It"is on the Charts for # 22 on the November BMP TOP 30 HOT SINGLES! A huge thank you to all of the great DJ's who support us by spinning our Music!

Read our latest review of "My Sisters and Me" in Today"s Country Magazine!

Band: GOLD HEART

 Check out the new interview on the Bluegrass Blog...

  GOLD HEART, “My Sisters and Me,” Rural Rhythm. 12 tracks.

Posted September 8, 2009 by k lawrence

Chances are, you haven’t heard of Gold Heart yet. But, rest assured, you will.

The Gold sisters from Hamilton, Va., are one of the hottest new acts in bluegrass — as well as one of the youngest.

Analise, the oldest at 19, switched from bagpipes to mandolin when the sisters decided to form a bluegrass band.

Jocelyn, 16, is the songwriter and guitar player. She wrote or co-wrote nine of the 12 songs on this album.

Shelby, who’s 13, is a fiddle prodigy. They take turns singing lead and their harmony is fantastic.

“Heavenly Home,” a gospel song written by Jocelyn Gold, is performed as an a capella trio. If angels sing bluegrass, this is what it sounds like.

The songwriting is mature and the musicianship is on a par with pickers twice their age.

A lot of bluegrass albums these days leave you wondering, “Is that really bluegrass?” There are no doubts here. “My Sisters and Me” is bluegrass, pure but not so simple.

It’s hard to pick a favorite here. It’s a solid album by a band that should just get better with time.

Can’t find it in stores? Try www.RuralRhythm.com

~Keith Lawrence (Bluegrass Notes)

 "My Sisters And Me" goes to #21 on the TOP 50

BILLBOARD BLUEGRASS ALBUM CHART!

Behind the local scenes with Gold Heart

Gwen Johnson newcastle@ourvalley.org

Fresh from a tour of the United Kingdom and Scotland, the award-winning five-piece Gold Heart Band appeared in concert at the Fairgrounds in New Castle Friday night. However, not before getting stuck in a traffic jam on Interstate 81 that kept them tied up at a snail’s pace for over two hours. 

With no time for dinner or to even wash their faces, the group arrived in town, gathered their instruments and went directly on stage. If they were rattled, it never showed. The family began the concert promptly and played their hearts out for the next two hours. 

The group is made up of three multi-talented sisters: Analise, 19, who plays mandolin; Jocelyn, 16, who plays guitar, and Shelby, 13, who plays fiddle. Although Trent Gold works a full time job for the Customs and Border Patrol Agency in Washington, D.C., he still finds time to accompany his daughters on bass, and drive the family F350 truck to every event.

In addition to the entire Gold family including mom Kim, Russ Carson who plays fivestring-banjo for the group, is also along, as are all the instruments. Russ, who has been playing the banjo since the age of 9, fits in perfectly with the group. His dad played the oldtime fiddle and banjo. In his spare time he likes photography and helping his dad restore a 1965 Mustang Fastback. 

Of note is the fact that the Gold sisters' 7-year-old-brother Mikaiah has recently taken up Dobro and 5-year-old sister Kalyssa is doing a little solo work of her own on stage during family performances.

So where does mom Kim fit into this musical group? To begin with, she taught the girls everything they know about singing and harmony at an early age. “We live quite a distance from town so we always sing in the car on road trips,” she said. “The girls began to sing acappella in church.” 

Though the sisters are primarily self-taught they get expert advice from some of the real pros. “We kind of try things out and then have people show us,” said Analise who handles most of the emcee duties. 

The talents of the sisters don’t stop with their beautifully blended voices and refined musical talents. While all of them have the gift of song writing and have written and arranged a lot of their own music, Jocelyn is credited with having written most of the band's impressive material. She wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on "Never Let Go" and four of her compositions are featured on "Journey to Heaven’s Bright Shore", their first two CDs. 

In March, Gold Heart signed with Rural Rhythm Records and their new CD entitled "My Sisters and Me" is scheduled to be available to the public August 25th. Wal-Mart and Borders will carry the new release. The other two are only available on line at www.goldheartbluegrass.com. 

The group has risen to world-wide fame in just the four short years they have been performing together as a family.

Although the family loves to travel and perform, they spend most of their time back home in Leesburg where they lead somewhat of a normal life. The children are home schooled so they all spend a lot of time traveling around and doing things as a family.

“They all like to cook and be in the kitchen,” Kim said. In addition, they enjoy drawing, painting and scrap-booking and most everything teenagers do. It goes almost without saying that shopping is one of their favorite past times. 

In addition to wearing the hats of wife and mother of five, Kim cheerfully takes on the responsibility of promoting and booking the group. But after all is said and done, “They’re just three teenage sisters having a blast with their music,” she said. “We all really enjoy it and give all the credit to God for any talent and inspiration we have as a family.”

Gold Heart has been nominated by the International Bluegrass Music Association for Emerging Artists of the Year-Vocalist of the Year: Jocelyn Gold; Mandolin Player of the Year: Analise Gold and Fiddle Player of the Year: Shelby Gold.

The group has also been selected as a 2009 Showcase Artist by the IBMA. Gold Heart will perform Sept. 28 at 8:30 p.m. in the Renaissance Grand Ball Room in Nashville, Tenn. 

 GOLD HEART at IBMA

 We are extremely excited to announce that Gold Heart has been selected as a

2009 IBMA Official Showcase Artist.

Renaissance Grand Ballroom

Monday-September 28, 2009

8:30 PM

Nashville, Tennessee

 GOLD HEART HITS THE ROAD

Anybody who feels bluegrass is a graying art form will surely be silenced by the Gold sisters. With a cumulative age of only 48 years, Analise, Jocelyn and Shelby can sing, pick and write songs with dis-arming ability. Even more impressive, the trio has been playing and performing professionally for less than four years.

They’re obviously serious about it. Their group, Gold Heart, has already released two CDs – Never Let Go and Journey to Heaven’s Bright Shore -- and at press time, they were on a 10-day tour of England and Scotland. This summer, the young musicians will appear at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, the Red White and Blue Festival in Florida and Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., among other venues.

On stage, the Hamilton, Va.-based sisters demonstrate poise far beyond their years, but it’s the ultra-tight sibling vocals that really set the band apart. “Gold Heart has some of the smoothest, emotionally laden and edgy harmonies in the business,” says Nashville DJ Dave Higgs.Among younger musicians, singing aptitude usually arrives far after instrumental prowess. The Gold sisters seem to have embraced it all at once. They first heard bluegrass on the car radio while they were on their way to church on Sundays. Soon, each girl gravitated to an instrument: Analise (now 19) to mandolin, Jocelyn (now 16) to guitar and Shelby (now 13) to fiddle.“They just loved it,” says mom and manager Kim Gold. ”They didn’t care if they played in front of people or not.”

Gold Heart is a family operation in every way. Father Trent plays bass and the clan rides to gigs in the Gold’s F350 truck. All of the children are home schooled, which vastly simplifies the logistics of education and travel. “We do school work on the road and we double up when we get home,” explains Analise.

It’s the ultra-tight sibling vocals that really set the band apart

During the day, Trent Gold works for the Customs and Border Patrol agency in Washington, D.C. Somehow, he manages to balance a busy tour schedule with his day job. His participation in the band began as more of an accident than by design. For the first couple of years, the sisters used fill-in bassists for shows but found themselves short before an important Virginia state competition. “We called him at work and said, “‘Hey, how about you learn to play bass for us?’” says Analise. “[Dad] came home and learned five songs.” Trent has been thumping the doghouse for Gold Heart ever since.

Jocelyn does most of the songwriting for the band and her work is garnering rave reviews. She wrote or co-wrote ten of the twelve songs on Never Let Go and four of her compositions are featured on Journey to Heaven’s Bright Shore.

The sisters are primarily self-taught but they get some expert pointers from veteran musicians like Danny Knicely and others. “We just kind of try things out and then have people show us,” says Analise.

 The strategy is working. In March, Gold Heart signed with Rural Rhythm Records and is currently recording a new album for the label. “We were all impressed with Analise, Jocelyn and Shelby and their high level of professionalism, con dence and the articulation of the music and [their] career goals,” said Rural Rhythm President Sam Passamano, in a statement.

Kim Gold is excited by her daughters’ success and cheerfully shoulders the work of promoting and booking the group. “It definitely takes up a lot of time,” she says. “It might be sports or something if it wasn’t this. It’s been a lot fun.”You can find out more about the band and see the Gold sisters’ tour schedule at www.goldheartbluegrass.com.

Randy Barrett - http://dcbu.org/

MAY 5, 2009 ~ UNITED KINGDOM TOUR

We have returned home from our tour of the UNITED KINGDOM! What a lovely & beautiful part of God's wonderful creation! We're happy to report that we had an awesome tour. It was a true learning experience for all of us! The band definitely had a good two week workout while on this trip. Sorry about not being able to keep our UK tour blog up & running. Telephone & internet services were extremely limited & we didn't have a moment to spare anyway. We managed to squeeze in quick visits to the Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, Mary Queen of Scots Palace, Stonehenge, Sherwood Forrest, the Scottish Highlands & others. We saw thousands of miles worth of heavenly countryside. We ate Scottish Haggis & English Pasties. Delicious! We stayed extremely busy & didn't waste a second. Our shows all went exceptionally well & attendance was very high. We met tons of really great people who just loved our music. It's amazing how many bluegrass fans there are in England & Scotland. It was so nice sharing stories & getting to know these fine people. We would like to thank John Sheldon & the Scottish Bluegrass Association for their input & help with Gold Heart's UK Tour, along with the promoters & event organizers & everyone else who worked so hard to make this tour such a success. Great work! We truly appreciate those of you who were so very kind & hospitable to us! Thank you to our fans & friends who came from far & near to enjoy our shows!

We invited Mr. Jens Koch to jump on board as banjo player for Gold Heart during our UK Tour. Getting to know Jens better & playing a ton of bluegrass with him was sure a highlight of the trip! Jens is from Stockholm, Sweden. They call him Mr. Banjo of Stockholm & he plays banjo with the band G2. G2 was voted Europe's #1 Bluegrass Band! Jens is a fine person who is so much fun to be with. He is a true banjo genius & his playing style was the frosting on the cake! His style meshed perfecty with our music & we truly appreciate the excellent job that he did for us. We had a blast playing with Jens! He's an incredible player! WE SMASHED IT COMPLETELY!!!!!

~Analise, Jocelyn & Shelby

APRIL 21, 2009

Well, it's 4 AM & we're still packing everything up, trying to get ready to go! It's a good thing we have a long time to sleep on the plane.Got a scary feeling we're taking way too much! Jocey got her Calton case for her guitar today~she's so relieved. It's really nice. Still can't believe we're going! I always wanted to go to Scotland since I began playing the bagpipes. I just never dreamed I'd get to go....playing bluegrass....in a band with may Dad & sisters. It's radically cool. Thank you God! Keep us in your prayers friends! More later. ~Analise

APRIL 18, 2009

Hey Everybody,

We just received our tour map, with all of our concert destinations. Looks like our route will cover quite an extensive range throughout the United Kingdom. We will travel right at 2,700 miles up & down the United Kingdom. We will be traveling in a mini-bus...that will be SO nice & comfy! It will be SO different than what we're used to, which is all 8 of us (including our little sisters car seat) crammed up in our Ford F-350! We can hardly breath in there! Can't wait to tell you all about the trip! Only 3 more days until we leave!

APRIL 13, 2009

Hey Everybody....

Only 6 more days till we fly off to the United Kingdom! We are so excited about the tour & can't wait to check out Scotland & England! We've never been, so it will be quite an experience for the Gold family. Today we're just packing our suitcases & getting ready to go. We sure are thankful for such a wonderful opportunity!

~Jocelyn

Rural Rhythms Records Rural Rhythm Records Signs GOLD HEART

Arcadia, CA (3.25.09)  Fans of bluegrass music have no doubt heard of the highly entertaining and award-winning family band, GOLD HEART, so it is with great pleasure Rural Rhythm Records announces they have signed the group to their label.  “The buzz on Gold Heart was incredible at last years IBMA World of Bluegrass convention.  This emerging new group seemed to be a main topic of many discussions regarding what new music is hot!  On the last day, sandwiched in between a day of wall-to-wall meetings, Trent Gold asked if we could meet with Gold Heart for a few minutes and that’s when I discovered what the buzz was all about.  We were all impressed with Analise, Jocelyn and Shelby and their high level of professionalism, confidence and the articulation of the music and career goals,” said label President, Sam Passamano, Jr.

GOLD HEART, individually and as a whole, has received a multitude of awards and recognitions in a short amount of time and credit their Mother with teaching them their vocal harmony that has drawn so much attention to this young band.  Members include the three Gold sisters, Analise (mandolin, vocals); Jocelyn (guitar, vocals); Shelby (fiddle and vocals); along with their Dad, Trent Gold (bass); plus Owen Piatt (banjo).

The group is currently in the studio recording their soon to be released new album with Producer, Justin Carbone.  "Gold Heart is blown away with the opportunity to work with Rural Rhythm Records!  Just to think that less than four years ago we were still trying to figure out how to hold our instruments and now we have the support of a fantastic label! We believe the time was right and we're ready to deliver the finest music we can make. We look forward to a successful relationship with Rural Rhythm Records,” said Analise.

GOLD HEART has a busy tour schedule in the U.S. plus their first overseas tour next month in the United Kingdom.  Two fellow Rural Rhythm artists have had the opportunity to see the band perform, including Sammy Shelor (Lonesome River Band) saying, "Gold Heart is a great vocal unit with strong instrumentation - a great show to see,” and Bill McBee (Cody Shuler and Pine Mountain Railroad) agreeing by saying, "Their songwriting and performances are stellar!"

More announcements will be made soon regarding a release date and tour announcements, so please visit www.goldheartbluegrass.com or www.ruralrhythm.com for more information.

Review in the Zeitgeist - 2009 Gold Heart – Never Let Go

I like a bit of bluegrass. I like it even better when it comes bounding out of the speakers, all shiny and new. And this album from the new kids on the block, the Gold sisters is one of the finest bluegrass albums I've heard in years.

They're still barely old enough to do, well, just about anything, but in the three years since they first appeared on a stage, they've taken the art of vocal harmonies to an astonishingly accomplished level. Chuck in the fact that they also write their own songs, and you're left with a remarkable piece of work.

Of course, they've been singing a lot longer, having started out singing acappella in church, and with their father teaching them the ins and outs of bluegrass (and also playing in Gold Heart), it wasn't long before Gold Heart became a reality. Analise plays mandolin, Jocelyn is the guitarist and Shelby takes care of the fiddle, with all three sisters chipping in on vocals. As mentioned Mr Trent Gold plays the bass, and the band is rounded out by Owen Piatt, on the 5-string banjo.

This is their second album, following on from an all gospel début, "Journey To Heaven's Bright Shore", a few years back, but with Jocelyn picking up the mantle of chief songwriter (writing seven of the songs solo as well as a few co-writes), their sound has expanded nicely and if the likes of 'Back To Virginia', 'Drought' and 'Walk On The Water' (the latter written by all the sisters), she has an assured future.

A great bluegrass album, and one all fans of the genre should get hold of.

-Stuart A. Hamilton

Analise now proudly plays & endorses COLLINGS mandolins!

 I am very excited to announce that I now play and endorse Collings mandolins! I have been spending a lot of time breaking in my gorgeous MF model mandolin. The quality and sound is unbelievable! It is the best mandolin I have ever played and I just love it! A HUGE thank you to all of the wonderful people at Collings in Austin, Texas for such a killer instrument! It is a privilege and honor it is to endorse Collings mandolins!

 ~ Analise

Review in the February 2009 Issue of Bluegrass Unlimited

Gold Heart - Never Let Go

[February 2009] BW

On their debut all gospel recording, “Journey To Heavens Bright Shore”, The three Gold sisters (mandolinist - Analise, fiddler - Shelby and guitarist – Jocelyn contribute twelve band originals, four of which are gospel tunes. 

Jocelyn has expanded her role as chief songwriter and shows a nice flair for melodic construction and rhythmic placement of the words. She wrote seven of the songs solo, one with lyricist Barbra Choate (“Drought”), and two with her sister Analise. Included in this collection is her gospel song, “Hear My Cry” that made the finals of the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest in 2008. It’s not hard to hear why the song did so well. All the hallmarks of classic bluegrass are there – the bluesy, slow beat, the emotional lyrics, and the traditional style melody. Other tunes by her are odes to the bands home state, “Back to Virginia” and the abovementioned “Drought”. Both have engaging melodies set over snappy, medium/uptempo arrangements that, back-to-back, make a fine one-two opening for the recording. 

Two other tacks  deserve special mention. They are “Thank You Darlin’,” co-written by Justin Carbone and Shelby Gold, and “Walk on the Water,” co-written by Analise and Jocelyn. The first is a jaunty, country shuffle, love song duet, the second a trio a cappella gospel tune. 

At the core of this album are bright melodies, direct lyrics, solid values, and crisp arrangements blending traditional bluegrass with post’90s touches.

The overall band has good drive. The instrumental solos are clean and not needlessly fancy. The sisters’ vocals, both in solo and harmony, are excellent. Add the contributions of resonator guitarist - Andy Hall, Banjoist Thomas – Wywrot, bassist – Alan Bartram, and producer Justin Carbone, and this gets a much deserved recommendation.

Gold Heart to tour United Kingdom 2009

 We are thrilled to announce our upcoming tour In the UK. Check our schedule for all UK dates. We are excited & looking forward to sharing our music in the UNITED KINGDOM!!! More details coming soon!

 GOLD HEART “Featured Band of the Month” ON BLUEGRASSRADIO.ORG - January 2009

WHAT AN HONOR! If you would like to request a song just go to our home page & click on The bluegrassradio.org logo/link. Once you get there...just click on song requests at the top. We appreciate you requesting our music & we thank all the DJ'S & Radio programs that have been Spinning our tunes! THANK YOU ALL!

Jocelyn is now sponsored by Mike Long Guitars!

I am so excited to say that I am now fully sponsored by “Mike Long” guitars. Mr. Mike Long made me a beautiful custom guitar. It sounds so amazing! The way Mike builds, does his set-up, and the tone and quality of his awesome instruments is just great! I thank Mike for all the hard work and effort he put in to making this guitar. He made it so special for me. I have to say it’s the best guitar I’ve played. Since I picked it up on Wednesday I’ve been playing it non-stop! Thank you Mike and Gloria Belle….I will treasure my guitar forever!

~ Jocey