The traditional country music stylists are releasing the first single from their upcoming album Satisfied: Country Gospel Classics.
The Malpass Brothers started singing and recording country music long after country was cool. But what sets them apart from many of their contemporaries is their respectfully traditional approach to the genre.
And the old timers have taken quite a shine to these relative newcomers.
Christopher and Taylor Malpass “have returned to us the music we all love and have yearned to hear again, with the warmth of yesteryear,” says Randy Travis. Larry Gatlin agrees: “The Malpass Brothers are a force of nature. That can be a good thing or a bad thing all according to how you look at it. I know this much — you will enjoy every second you see and hear these ‘good old boys’ on a stage.”
Gene Watson says the boys from Goldsboro, North Carolina, “are as good as it gets. They’re genuine. They eat, sleep and breathe real country music. They are incredible singers, songwriters — and as entertainers, they can mesmerize an audience. Just when I thought real country music might be lost, I heard The Malpass Brothers, and they renewed my faith that the music will survive.”
Just how country are The Malpass Brothers? Consider this: They kicked off their career by touring as an opening act for Merle Haggard. For seven years, no less. “They remind me a lot of myself and people that I knew when I was young,” the late country great said.
Critics and journalists have been equally impressed. “They’re no museum piece or revival act designed to show how music was performed long ago,” says Jack Bernhardt of The Raleigh News & Observer. “They are a working band that uses its talent to entertain and nourish souls.”
Dan MacIntosh of Roothog Radio echoes those sentiments: “George Jones once recorded a song called ‘Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes,’ which wondered if great country singers would come along in the future to take the place of the great old ones from the past ... Well, George, maybe your prayer’s been answered. These guys don’t just sound retro. They are retro.”
In 2018, The Malpass Brothers made their Grand Ole Opry debut, and have returned to that storied country music mecca over a dozen times since. They have headlined international tours and festivals in Ireland, Switzerland, and Scotland, and performed on such national television programs as TBN’s The Huckabee Show and RFD-TV’s Country’s Family Reunion and Larry’s Country Diner.
And speaking of RFD-TV: That’s where the duo has hosted The Malpass Brothers Show since 2024.
What’s next? Satisfied: Country Gospel Classics, their upcoming live album and DVD, is set for a June 26 release by Gaither Music Group. Filmed live at TBN Studios in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Satisfied features a collection of beloved hymns and gospel standards, performed by the Malpass Brothers in an intimate concert setting, backed by a seasoned band.
“Chris and Taylor have a deep respect for the traditions that shaped country and gospel music,” said Paul Sizelove, president of Sun Label Group and Gaither Music Group, “and they bring that to life every time they step on stage,.
“This project captures that authenticity in a powerful way, and we’re proud to partner with them in sharing it with audiences everywhere.”
Cowboys & Indians is pleased and proud to premiere “Satisfied,” the title cut from The Malpass Brothers’ live album.
We recently caught up with Christopher and Taylor Malpass to talk about their approach to the music they love, and their enthusiasm for Satisfied: Country Gospel Classics. Here are some highlights from our conversation, edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Cowboys & Indians: What’s your fondest memory of Merle Haggard?
Christopher Malpass: Well, the first time I met Merle, when we went on the bus that day, he told us, “The band’s been telling me you guys opened the show. What do you do?” And I said, “Well, sir, we do Ernest Tubb and Lefty and Hank.” And he had a little parlor guitar — Rose was its name. He handed me the guitar and he said, “Well, do something.” And I remember singing “Dear Judge” by Ernest Tubb.
And he had a little practice amp up front, so he plugged in his Tuff Dog Tele, and we jammed for 30 or 40 minutes at the front of the bus. And that had such a huge impact on me because he was our hero. And to take up that time — it was like an instant friendship right then, like a bond.
Taylor Malpass: And we also jammed the first time we went out to his ranch. And I remember that’s where I got to play Andy Pursell’s guitar in his living room. And we sat around and played for hours that day. And that probably is probably my favorite memory.
C&I: Do you play a lot of Haggard’s songs during your live concerts?
Taylor: We do. Yes, sir, we don’t do a show where we don’t do at least three Merle Haggard songs, because he was such a huge influence on us. Every show’s got some Merle in it.
C&I: How would you describe your own music?
Taylor: Traditional. But we don't try to imitate anyone. It’s authentic.
C&I: But you also put some golden oldies into the mix when you perform, right?
Christopher: The music, in our mind, is still current. There’s no expiration date on good music. In our mind, it’s just like, hey, here’s a Stonewall Jackson song. And everybody should know who that is. Or like, here’s a Charlie Pride song. Well, you don’t know who Charlie Pride is? What in the world? To us, it’s just like breathing air. We just love it so much. We live and breathe this music.
C&I: What was your first thought when you were approached to do your own variety show for RFD-TV? Like, OK, we were on Larry’s Country Diner — but you want us to do our own show? Just us and the guests? Did you worry, hey, are we ready for this?
Christopher: Well, Taylor and I really like RFD-TV. And television is the best outlet for what we do. Because with traditional country, it’s not on modern radio. And what we do is very visual too. When people see it, they go, “Oh, okay.” Because it’s a whole deal. It’s a look, it’s a sound, it’s an entertaining factor, as well as the music part. So we feel like it’s very important to be on TV.
Did we think we were ready? Well, no, we were scared to death, and we still are. But we knew that if we could get to the fans that watched Diner and just play real country music for them, and take them back for 30 minutes every week, and remind them of this good music — we felt like they would accept what we were doing. And see that it’s a way of preserving the music for us.
Taylor: Yeah, because when we did the Diner show, that was when we really saw a turning point in our career. We really picked up a lot of dates and picked up a lot of new fans. We owe a lot to RFD-TV and Larry’s Country Diner. It was huge for us.
C&I: Have you ever had a guest you’ve been intimidated by?
Christopher: Every one of them, for me. Yeah. Like Randy Travis, when we did all of Randy’s songs while he was there with us. It was emotional and it was intimidating because, hey, one of country music’s greatest vocalists is sitting there and you’re doing his songs.
Every guest has been nothing but kind, so kind and gracious. But I’ve been scared to death in front of every one of them. Like, Gene Watson was intimidating because he’s such a singer. Yeah, I’ve been nervous in front of them. We just want to make them proud.
C&I: Finally, please tell us a little more about Satisfied: Country Gospel Classics.
Christopher: It’s a live album coming out June 26 on Gaither Records. And it’s all traditional country gospel. A lot of Louvin Brothers, some Merle Haggard gospel — of course some Bill Gaither songs and hymns. And we’re really excited about it.
Taylor: These songs are the ones we grew up on. They were part of our everyday life at home, on the road, and backstage. When we set out to make this project, we wanted to keep it simple and honest, and let the songs speak the way they always have. Getting to do that live made it even more special.
Satisfied: Country Gospel Classics will be released as an audio album, full-length DVD, and television special. The TV special will air on TBN, RFD-TV, The Word Network, Vision, TCT, The Walk TV, TLN, HopeTV, The Miracle Channel, CTS, CTN, and Heartland. A radio special will premiere on SiriusXM Radio, and music from the project will also be featured on Bill Gaither’s SiriusXM enLighten channel (Channel 150). The full-length project also will be available to stream at Gaither TV+. You can purchase the DVD and CD at Gaither.com.
