Thomas Cassell

Thomas Cassell was Trevor's first interview, back in season one. In September 2025 he came back for the show's first bonus episode, recorded ten days before IBMA came to Chattanooga.

IBMA from the inside

Thomas has worked IBMA's World of Bluegrass every year since 2016, including the virtual year. Some years he played 15 to 20 showcases in a week, walking from room to room with his mandolin out of the case. He also served on the education committee that sorted panel proposals and built the conference schedule.

His favorite part of the business side is the Momentum Awards luncheon, where he gets to sit with friends and watch them win. The panel that changed the most for him was a 2019 session on social media. He came home and rebuilt how Circus No. 9 handled its accounts. Five months later the pandemic changed the whole internet, and he started over.

"For three or four hours a day, I'm a professional. And for the other ten or so hours, I'm just totally a fan at IBMA."

He likes the week for the same reason everyone does. At a festival you might see a friend for an hour. At IBMA the whole industry is in one place for days.

"It's the big old family reunion, almost."

When IBMA announced it was leaving Raleigh, Thomas guessed the next stop would be Knoxville or Chattanooga. He was glad to be right.

Joining Wood Box Heroes

Thomas joined Wood Box Heroes on mandolin in 2024, taking over from founding member Seth Taylor. The band is Josh Martin on guitar and lead vocals, Matt Menefee on banjo, Jenee Fleenor on fiddle and Barry Bales on bass.

For a young band, the Grand Ole Opry came early. By the end of August 2025, Thomas had played the Opry four times with them. On the fourth, Vince Gill sat in for a song. IBMA took longer. A ramble slot opened late in the summer of 2025, and the band played its first World of Bluegrass in Chattanooga.

"I have to pinch myself constantly being in there."

Matt Menefee and Barry Bales were the players he watched on YouTube as a teenager. Josh Martin and Jenee Fleenor he calls two of the best musicians and front people he has ever played with.

The Never-Ending Years

His third solo album, The Never-Ending Years, came out on Mountain Fever Records in October 2024. He co-produced it with Casey Campbell. Thomas made a lot of phone calls for this one.

There are two core bands. One is his own generation, with Jake Stargel, Cory Walker and Jason Carter. The other is what he calls his hero band: Ron Stewart on banjo, Tim Stafford on guitar and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on fiddle. Rob Ickes, Bob Minner and Wyatt Rice sit in. The singers include Dale Ann Bradley and Missy Raines, and Ronnie McCoury sings two duets with him. Thomas was after the sound of Ronnie and Del McCoury singing together, one of his favorite things in the world.

The CD comes with full liner notes: lyrics and who wrote each song. His website lists full credits for every record he has made.

"When I get a record, I'm like, man, I wanna know everything about everything that's on this."

What came next

After IBMA 2025, Thomas played a mandolin and guitar duo set and emceed the Mayhaw Music Festival in Cottonwood, Alabama, his first time as an emcee. Then came a run of October festivals with Wood Box Heroes, including a stop in his hometown of Big Stone Gap.

He told Trevor he had a solo project in the works, with duets alongside guitar players. It came out in 2026 on Common Loon Records as Guitar Collection.