Spotlight: Denver Bluegrass Band, Big Richard, Takes the Stage

This Valentine’s Day, Big Richard will take the Boulder Theater stage to celebrate love with traditional bluegrass and old-time tunes. The four-piece band joined forces in 2021 for a festival and has stuck together ever since. Now, Bonnie Sims, Joy Adams, Hazel Royer, and Eve Panning are taking up the music industry with brilliant genre mashups and a little bit of irreverence. 

“In the bluegrass world, there’s a lot of tradition, which is wonderful. I love those aspects. We honor them and kind of ramcom them in the same moment. It’s definitely a contradiction, and I recognize that,” Sims told Yellow Scene, “We don’t have the same bowed head good girl approach. There’s a lot of traditional things in the way of other things like gender. So we’re breaking those by being four women who aren’t behaving or presenting in the way you might expect.” 

Royer added, “Also, we’re playing music that isn’t traditional. That, in its own way, is irreverent. We’re playing pop covers and really pushing the genre.”

Big Richard has been on the road full-time for the past two years and will continue the trend into 2025. “It’s been a lot of driving,” said Sims. 

Now, the group is using the momentum it has gained over the past few years to usher in a new chapter. The band’s debut album will be released on January 24th. Although they formerly released a live record, this is their first studio offering. 

Sims explained that the band creates a big party for the audience members, which can make the atmosphere a little rowdy, “but this record is more of a vulnerable moment. It’s a more mature offering, if you will.” The band’s ability to explore the capacity of human emotion is one thing that’s led to their success. 

With decades of collective experience between the bandmates, Big Richard’s rise to success doesn’t feel sudden to Sims and Royer. Yet the group has garnered national attention in just three short years. The band’s biggest struggles have been a flat tire, questionable Google Maps directions, and the general finesse it takes to adapt to a tour’s needs. 

“Touring is just a challenge in itself. Imagine you’re in a car with 5 people, and you’ve driven 17 hours, and everyone has to share a bed and a hotel room. You have to choose to have a good attitude at that point,” said Sims. 

Big Richard performs at the Ogden Theater on Jan 20th, 2024

Royer added, “You also have to carry like 75 pounds of instruments.”

In the same breath, music is the platform on which the group explores universal themes. It’s such a powerful outlet that the division between the self and music can become blurry for some bandmates. Sims said, “I feel like music has always been very much a huge piece of my identity. Growing up and through my life, I’ve always been associated with it. It’s my livelihood. It’s how I make money. But – don’t tell anyone, I’d do it for free.”

Artistic expression is not just an emotional outlet; it’s a societal need, “It’s where we turn in our moments of need as a culture and society,” said Sims. “People scratch notation on concentration camps in their darkest moments. That is so powerful. I love being a part of something bigger than me. It’s as close to magic that I’m ever going to get.” 

The Colorado-based band is excited for its tour as well as a number of un-released events in its home state. Releasing its debut album is a significant step in the band’s evolution. Royer also noted that the group’s momentum is picking up, “Our new album isn’t released, but we actually just were in the studio making another album.” While the days begin to grow longer, Big Richard continues to concoct new dreams and plans for their future. 

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