Never Come Down: “9 to 5”

Peghead Nation vocal instructors play a great version of the hit Dolly Parton song.

By: Dan Gabel

September 1, 2026

We all lost one of the towering icons of country music, songwriting, and so much more recently when Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80. Known for her songs that became part of the fabric of our musical history, like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly wrote more than 3,000 songs, many that carried powerful messages like “Just Because I’m a Woman” and “Coat of Many Colors,” making her one of the most formidable writers and music-business leaders in our history. Her philanthropy and advocacy for working people, children, and marginalized groups was a lifelong theme for her as well.

Among the anthems that Dolly penned is “9 to 5,” for the movie of the same name that she starred in with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, released in 1980. She famously wrote the song by clicking her acrylic fingernails together on the set in lieu of writing with a guitar as was her custom.

In this video from the Sierragrass Festival earlier this year, Peghead Nation instructors in Never Come Down covered the hit, with Crystal Lariza bringing her formidable pipes and flair, and the rest of the band playing instruments instead of fingernails, and capturing the fun, forceful groove. It’s a fitting tribute to a one-of-a-kind artist and human. Thanks for all of it, Dolly!

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Never Come Down, the Portland, Oregon-based band that includes Crystal Lariza (vocals and guitar), Joe Suskind (guitar), Kaden Hurst (mandolin), Lillian Sawyer (fiddle), and Matt Holmes (bass), joined us in the Peghead Nation studio in San Rafael, California, early this year to record their Peghead Session, Three-Part Vocal Harmony, taught by Crystal, Joe, and Kaden. While they were in the studio, the whole band convened to play a few songs, including this beautiful take on Rowland Salley’s classic, “Killing the Blues.”

You can also check out their performances of their songs “Moscow” and “Gimme Time” on Peghead Nation!

Three-Part Vocal Harmony with Never Come Down is the first of our new Peghead Sessions series. In this stand-alone workshop, Crystal, Kaden, and Joe walk you through the fundamentals of singing three-part bluegrass harmony. Whether you’re new to harmony singing or need to strengthen your ear and vocal technique, this focused workshop will give you practical tools you can use right away. This is a pre-recorded, on-demand workshop, available right now!

You’ll start with the fundamentals, including how to warm up properly, breathe efficiently, and support your voice, and then move into the nuances of singing bluegrass harmony. Crystal, Kaden, and Joe break down how tenor and baritone parts relate to the lead, how to find your harmony notes, how to move your part smoothly as the melody changes, and more. The session culminates in a line-by-line harmony breakdown of the chorus to “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” giving you a real-world example you can sing along with and apply to your own repertoire. Along the way, they give you lots of practical exercises and drills that you can use whenever you’re preparing to sing, and those drills are included in downloadable MP3 Sing-Along Tracks.

The one-time fee for Three-Part Vocal Harmony with Never Come Down is $30,
and you retain access to the material in the Session permanently as part of your Peghead Nation login.
Sign up now!

This is part of our new Peghead Nation Sessions, which are focused, stand-alone workshops that explore a specific topic in an efficient, deep-dive format. You purchase once and have permanent access in your Peghead Nation account, alongside your longer-form Course subscriptions or Live Workshops, so you can refresh your skills whenever you need to.

The Three-Part Vocal Harmony Session Includes:

45 minutes of high-quality video instruction
Permanent access to all materials as part of your Peghead Nation login
Lessons on how to breathe and support your singing voice
Exercises for safely warming up your voice
A lesson on how to identify your chest and head voice, with exercises for each
Instruction on the names of bluegrass harmony parts
Helpful instruction in finding tenor and baritone harmony in relation to the lead
Exercises for moving your harmony part with the melody
Line-by-line harmony instruction on the chorus to “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms”
Downloadable Sing-Along Track MP3s for vocal exercises and “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms”

Never Come Down Bio:

Weaving together modern and traditional styles of American music, Never Come Down is a Portland, Oregon-based band composed of Joe Suskind (guitar), Crystal Lariza (vocals), Lillian Sawyer (fiddle), and Kaden Hurst (mandolin). Their dedication to thoughtful songwriting and dynamic arrangements highlights polished technical skills and a commitment to listening to each other. Formed in 2018, the band began touring extensively, steadily cultivating a passionate fan base in the Pacific Northwest and eventually around the country. NCD released their first studio album, Better Late Than Never, in 2021 and their second LP, Greener Pastures, in 2024. They’ve toured internationally and have found acclaim at festivals such as Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Iceland Airwaves, John Hartford Memorial Fest, Americanafest, FreshGrass, and RockyGrass.