Alison Krauss, renowned for her ethereal voice and timeless contributions to bluegrass and roots music, has reunited with Union Station for their long-awaited album, Arcadia. Following their Grammy-winning masterpiece Paper Airplane in 2011, the group's return after fourteen years underscores their enduring influence and commitment to storytelling through music.

"Many people in bluegrass music talk about being born in the wrong decade," reflects Krauss. "Whenever I sing, the pictures I see in my head take place in a particular time. That's what happened with these tunes, maybe even more so than in the past." Despite the hiatus, Krauss continuously collected songs that resonated deeply with her, patiently waiting for the right moment to bring them to life. "Over the years, you'll hear something, but it's not time for it," she shares. "You say to yourself, ‘Oh, this is beautiful, I'm going to set it aside and wait.'"

For Arcadia, Krauss found the catalyst in "Looks Like the End of the Road," penned by Jeremy Lister. "It just felt so alive—and as always, I could hear the guys already playing it," she recalls. The song set the tone for the album, guiding Alison Krauss & Union Station back into the studio with renewed vigor and purpose.

Union Station, comprised of virtuosos Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar, vocals), and Barry Bales (bass, vocals), welcomed Russell Moore into their ranks following Dan Tyminski's departure. Moore, celebrated for his tenure with Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, seamlessly integrated into the group's dynamic, bringing a fresh perspective and his distinctive voice to the album.

Arcadia, with compositions by the likes of Robert Lee Castleman, Viktor Krauss, Bob Lucas, JD McPherson, and Sarah Siskind, weaves together contemporary themes with the historical sensibility of a bygone America. Krauss explains, "The stories of the past are told in this music. It's that whole idea of ‘in the good old days when times were bad.’"

Reflecting on the inspiration behind the album Krauss draws parallels to the artistry of Norman Rockwell. "I’ve always been enamored with Norman Rockwell and that whole look, because in my mind, that's where all bluegrass tunes take place," she muses. "With a lot of these tunes, you hear these tragic stories, but they combined it with a beautiful melody and poetry. It was how people got their true-life stories told and I'm always drawn to the truth."

Returning to a more traditional approach after collaborations with Robert Plant, including the Grammy-winning Raising Sand, feels like a homecoming for Krauss. "This is where I live and come from," she asserts, "and now I get to bring my experiences with Robert back to Union Station."

As Alison Krauss & Union Station embark on their first tour in a decade, Krauss embraces the responsibility of preserving and interpreting roots music for new audiences. "I feel privileged to be a messenger of somebody else's story," she reflects. "And I want to hear what happened."