Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss & Union Station
Overview
Song: Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
The song is the title track and lead single from the band's seventh studio album Paper Airplane; it is a melancholy bluegrass ballad about trial and perseverance.
Release Details
Album: Paper Airplane
Single Release Date: March 28, 2011
Album Release Date: April 12, 2011
Label: Rounder Records
Genre: Bluegrass
Length: 3:36
The single was released to country music radio and Adult Album Alternative radio but failed to chart; the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Top Country Albums, No. 1 on Top Bluegrass Albums and No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Songwriting and Production
Writer: Robert Lee Castleman
Producers: Alison Krauss & Union Station
Engineer and Mixer: Mike Shipley; Krauss persuaded him to return to engineering after a 10 year absence.
Mastering: Brad Blackwood
Personnel on the Track
Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas:
- Alison Krauss - fiddle, lead vocals, production
- Dan Tyminski - guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals, production
- Jerry Douglas - Dobro, lap steel, harmony vocals, production
- Ron Block - banjo, guitar, production
- Barry Bales - acoustic bass, harmony vocals, production
Awards and Legacy
The Paper Airplane album won two Grammys; Best Bluegrass Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
It was Krauss's 14th album overall and her first album with Union Station since 2004's Lonely Runs Both Ways; the song remains a fan favorite and is often used to open live shows on the Arcadia Tour.
