Patti's After-Party: Darin and Brooke Aldridge "Come Alive" With New Music
It's been quite a year for bluegrass/country/gospel duo Darin and Brooke Aldridge. They've released new music, toured and received two major award nominations. I spoke with Darin Aldridge to catch up on what he and wife Brooke have been filling their time with and to chat about their recently released single, "Come Alive."
This is one husband and wife duo who appear so put together and solid when they perform. Are they for real? You bet they are. They both grew up in the Avery County, North Carolina area of the Appalachian Mountains and they still call it home when they're not on the road. They've been playing together for nearly 20 years and will celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary in December. That's staying power and proof that married people can work together successfully.
"Come Alive" dropped Septermber 24, 2026 and has been doing well. Immediately after its release, Aldridge said there were so many positive comments on their social media sites and they also received lots of messages from people saying how much they loved the song. Aldridge said, "I know it world premiered on Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction and digitally on Cowboys & Indians Magazine, so that's a pretty good start to a new song."
If you haven't yet heard it, you'll want to listen. Brooke Aldridge's voice is as lovely as ever and Darin's mandolin is back for another exquisite opportunity to shine, and oh, does it shine! An uplifting "comfort" song, "Come Alive" is one to give a spin whether you're already having a good day or if you need to turn a rough day around. The song was written by Mark Aaron BonDurant and Jayne Sachs and produced by Mark Fain and Darin Aldridge. Studio musicians included Darin Aldridge (lead vocals, mandolin), Brooke Aldridge (lead vocals), Mark Fain (bass guitar), Andy Leftwich (fiddle), Shawn Richardson (acoustic guitar) and Josh Hunt (drums).
Listen to "Come Alive" at this link: https://billyblue.ffm.to/ca_dba.
Earlier this year the Aldridges released their 11th studio album, Soul Condition, which earned a GMA Dove Award nomination for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year. The 57th annual Dove Awards were held October 6th at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Although they didn't win, Aldridge told me "We're just honored to have been nominated in such a great class of the Bluegrass/Country/Roots category. We were nominated a couple of years ago for a song we had, but this time we got an album nomination, so that's pretty cool." Chosen Road took away the Dove Award for their EP American Morning: Side A.
Stream/Download Soul Condition here: https://billyblue.ffm.to/dba_sc.
A frequent collaborator with Darin and Brooke Aldridge is Bassist/Vocalist John Cowan, best known for his work with The Doobie Brothers, New Grass Revival and Sky Kings. The couple and Cowan met many years ago at a show in North Carolina. "John got us up to sing with him and it was like, 'Wow, we sang really good together,' so then we started doing some shows with each other after that. That developed into about three years where we would pair up and do shows together. We recorded a few times with him and he's on a couple of our albums. On our recent gospel album, the song 'You Don't Knock' is on there and we did that with John. New Grass Revival used to do that song a lot in their live set and they also recorded it. It was the right thing to do to have John come in and sing with us on that." "You Don't Knock" was co-written by C. A. Walton and W. Westbrook. The New Grass Revival version appears on the 1984 album On The Boulevard.
"You Don't Knock" by Darin and Brooke Aldridge with John Cowan received a nomination from the International Bluegrass Association Awards for 2026 Gospel Recording of the Year. Those awards took place October 22nd in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The winner was Blue Highway's "Some Day."
There aren't many shows left on the duo's schedule, but tickets are still available for the remaining dates. For details, click https://www.darinandbrookealdridge.com/tour.
Aldridge shared some other artists he and Brooke have had the opportunity to work with over the years. They include, Jimmy Fortune, Linda Davis, Lang Scott, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs. He is grateful for all of them.
There will be a new album in the not-so-distant future, but at this time it's still untitled. Keep an eye out for updates on Darin and Brooke's social media sites and their official website.
Our time was brief, but there was time for one more random question. "Aside from any family occurrence (marriage, special anniversary, birth of a child), what event or accomplishment would you consider to be the highlight of your life thus far?" Aldridge replied, "As far as our career goes, we'll put it in that category, playing the Grand Ole Opry as many times as we have, we've performed 60 times, with our Opry debut in 2017. To share that stage has been a great accomplishment of ours."
It's the number one goal of almost every rising country artist I interview - playing the Grand Ole Opry. It's so good to know that even after standing in the hallowed Opry circle has been achieved, the magic is still very much there.
Stay up-to-date with Darin and Brooke Aldridge on their website and social media. They'd love to hear your feedback on the new music, and if you leave them a comment, please be sure to tell them Center Stage Magazine sent you!.
About Patti McClintic
JournalistI’m a pop culture and history nerd. I love my family, friends, random trivia and animals. I found out early I had a natural knack for creating stories and finding my way around the English language. Writing came easy for me. If I was going to write about anything, pop culture seemed like a good choice.
I spent 10 years writing for UK-based Think Country. I’ve interviewed countless artists and reviewed many shows and records. I’ve written show reviews on Charlie Daniels, Florida Georgia Line, Merle Haggard, The Cadillac Three, Randy Travis and multiple CMA Fests. Artists I’ve interviewed include Brett Eldredge, Carly Pierce, Ashley McBryde, Lonestar, Lainey Wilson and Jeannie Seely, to name just a few.
I also had a three year stint working in public relations in Nashville. I learned so much more by seeing the music business from the other side. I am forever grateful to have been given that opportunity at B Noticed PR, a highly-respected PR firm, whose clients have included Exile, Jeannie Seely, Allie Colleen, Brady Seals and Adam Hood.
When I’m not involved in the music industry, you can find me hanging out with my husband, playing cornhole or fishing. I’m a genealogy addict and I love perusing very old newspapers and cemeteries. I’m a proud mom and grandma, so family matters a lot to me, even my cat family members. I’m thrilled to be a part of Center Stage Magazine and looking forward to whatever comes my way while I’m here. There’s really nothing else like it.
