One of the most astounding, moving collaborations in 2026 traverses the unexpected path between Europe's finest opera halls and America's deepest hollers. Star soprano and actress Renée Fleming and banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck teamed up to release The Fiddle and The Drum, which came out May 29 via Thirty Tigers.
The 10-song album honors some of the most influential musical works in the United States' 250-year-long history. These include canonic old-time tunes like "The Storms Are on the Ocean" by The Carter Family and "In The Pines," made famous by Lead Belly, as well as contemporary classics like the title track by Joni Mitchell and "The Scarlet Tide," written by T Bone Burnett and Elvis Costello for Alison Krauss for the 2003 film Cold Mountain. Likewise, the record includes an impressive range of special guests to help convey the depth and breath of this history: Dolly Parton lends her inimitable voice to "In The Pines." Jerry Douglas plays dobro on "The Fiddle and The Drum" and "The Cuckoo." And Sierra Hull and Sarah Jarosz complete the perfect trio with Fleming in an a cappella version of Hazel and Alice's "Pretty Bird" to close out the record. Other guests include guitarist and songwriter Vince Gill, vocalist and guitarist Aoife O’Donovan, and Fleck on producer duties, as well.
In advance of The Fiddle and The Drum, No Depression checked in with Fleming and Fleck together to chat about the record, its making, and its symbolism. Like other pieces in No Depression’s In The Deep End series, questions start easier then get progressively…deeper. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
