Brown, Martin go "5 Days Out, 2 Days Back" with O'Brien

The song will be included as part of a collection of songs by Brown and Martin to be released this year via Compass Records.

Martin's lyrics tell a story of balancing life on the road with the pull of loved ones at home.

Martin said, "I'm so happy to be back playing with Alison, Tim O'Brien and all the great musicians I'm so fortunate to work with. "5 Days Out, 2 Days Back" is Alison's and my tribute to all us road musicians."

Brown thought from the start that O'Brien's voice and mandolin style would be a perfect fit for the song. "Tim is one of the all-time greatest singers in bluegrass. From the first demo we recorded together, he brought the perfect energy and spin to it, drawing on his many years of touring to bring the story to life."

O'Brien said, "Alison Brown and Steve Martin compress a year of a touring musician's life into a few minutes on their new single. Our protagonist finds a path between the conflicting pulls of family and the road, plus I sing it really good."

Bryan Sutton (guitar, harmony vocals), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Todd Phillips (bass) and Vickie Vaughn (harmony vocals) play on the song.

Brown and Martin have released a series of collaborations, including "Foggy Morning Breaking" (from Brown's 2023 album "On Banjo") as well as their 2024 release "Bluegrass Radio." Brown and Martin's most recent release, "Wall Guitar," and was released last November, featuring Vince Gill. Brown and Martin will continue to release new music throughout the year and are set to perform at The Hollywood Bowl on June 18, as part of Rhiannon Giddens: American Tunes, a one-night only event celebrating American music.