The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1
Producer · Fiddle (Matt Combs) · Guitar (Chris Sharp)
Grammy-nominated, Best Bluegrass Album. Modern interpretations of Hartford's writing, played by the people who knew him best. Chris Sharp performs.
Matt Combs · Fifty Years of Clown School
First release on the label
The record that started this place.
TNC001
"At its best, music heals the human soul."
Original fiddle tunes by Matt Combs. Tracked live in one room across three sessions — no headphones, no click — with Dennis Crouch, Brittany and Natalie Haas, Dom Leslie, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Allison de Groot, Jason Carter, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and Chris Sharp.
The Nashville Collective · est. 2025
A band. A label. A dare.
Not a studio. A studio experience. Stand in one room and get it done.
We each have our own studios. The Nashville Collective is what happens inside them — live tracking, no headphones, no click, and a co-production model. The band takes different forms depending on the record: fiddle-tune band, country band, whatever the song needs. Co-founded by Chris Sharp and Matt Combs.
Listen
Hear the room.
Fifty Years of Clown School · Matt Combs
0:000:00
Preview · 30sTNC001
The official video
Fifty Years of Clown School.
TNC001 Matt Combs · directed by Misa Arriaga
The Live Series
Latest session.
The ethos
No headphones. No click. No rules. No heroes.
We track live, in one room, with full sight of each other. No separation. No way to recover. After years of editing the life out of songs, this is the only way we want to record when possible.
No bosses. No people with bad ideas. Nobody making mistakes. The job is to enjoy the session.
The less you try, the better it sounds.
Co-founded by
Two ears at the wheel.
And the room they built
The collective.
Selected lineage
What we made before this.
Memories of John
Producer · Guitar · Vocals (Chris Sharp) · Fiddle (Matt Combs) · Compass Records
Grammy-nominated. A decade after John Hartford's passing, the Stringband reconvened with guests including Béla Fleck, Tim O'Brien, and Alison Brown. Both Chris and Matt are core players.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Guitar · Mandolin — session player (Chris Sharp) · Mercury / Lost Highway
Grammy-winning soundtrack, produced by T Bone Burnett. Chris played on it (he didn't make it).
Field Notes
From the room.
The Friday letter
One essay. Nothing else.
Friday mornings. The week's session, one essay, one record we can't stop playing.
Working with us
Is this the sound you're after?
We work best when we're aligned. If you're chasing feel, fidelity, and collaboration, reach out.
