Nothin’ Fancy bass player James Cox, who has been with the band since he was 16, made a decision to leave the band to dedicate more time to the band he formed with his brother John called The Jangles. It has been an interesting time having James around for 5 years, and in the last few years James has developed a confident stage presence worthy of a good showman, and the band is sorry to see him leave. Mike, Jacob, and Curt wish him all the best in his endeavors with the Jangles, and we encourage everyone to give James love and support as he starts this new chapter in his career.

So as the new album says, “Here We Go Again!” If anyone would like to audition on bass or if you have a reference for a bass player, click here to let us know. We look forward to hearing from you.

In late December 2022, Nothin’ Fancy’s current members added Curt Gausman as the newest member on guitar and tenor vocals.

Curt, who lives north of Charlottesville, VA with his wife Lori, is returning to bluegrass after a stint off the road with bands based out of Northern Virginia in the 1980s. He was part of Hobbs and Partners, led by Arnold Hobbs, which also included John Paganoni, John’s son Chris (who has filled in as a substitute with Nothin’ Fancy on more than one occasion), and Mark Delaney. From his work with Hobbs, he formed the Hazel River Band, which he led through 1996 and recorded two albums with the Hay Holler label. He enjoyed success as a charter bus tour coordinator operating his own tour bus company until the pandemic of 2020.

After Nothin’ Fancy said goodbye to Jake Lauzon in September, the band focused on a search for a guitar player with tenor ability. Curt came to the Nothin’ Fancy festival and delivered some impressive tenor on his audition with strong rhythm guitar to back it up. He joined us at several performances from October 2022 in West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida. The crowds were certainly amazed by his clear and powerful tenor voice. The harmonies that have been a hallmark of Nothin’ Fancy’s sound since the beginnings of the band with its original lineup are returning stronger than ever, and the band has even had a few surprises up its sleeve in recent shows, delivering songs it hasn’t performed in over a decade and sending neck hairs into standing ovations with the blending voices of Mike, Curt, Chris, and Jacob Flick taking up the bass vocal.

As Nothin’ Fancy begins 2023, make sure to come see us at a show and hear what Curt brings to our sound. You’ll be glad you did! Welcome aboard, Curt. We’re thrilled to have you with us.

Nothin' Fancy and Mountain Fever Records are pleased to announce a new album and a new single coming out after a hiatus from recording. Appropriately enough, the new album is called Here We Go Again.

The Nothin’ Fancy guys have a few surprises in store on the album, which contains 11 original songs from Mike and James and the unique NF take on a John Prine favorite in homage to the late songwriter. The album should be available at the next Nothin’ Fancy festival coming up on September 22, 23, and 24. At recent performances, audiences have all been given sneak previews of the material, and the band’s loyal fans will not have to wait long until they can enjoy the new catchy tunes. We were honored to work with Amanda Cook, who lends her harmony vocals on one of Mike’s originals, and the new single, “Little Island Love,” will be hopefully hitting the airwaves very soon – an original tune co-written by James Cox and his brother John!

Keep listening and watching this space for more news! Visit our tourdates section on the website to catch Nothin’ Fancy at a show, or come on down September 22, 23, and 24 for the Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival which is finally come back after two years of waiting out the pandemic. Still being held at Buena Vista, VA at the Glen Maury Park, we look forward to finally having our 20th annual festival and celebrating a joyous reunion with our bluegrass family. See you out there!