The 2025 IBMA New Artists Of The Year!
Red Camel Collective
a bit about us...
Red Camel Collective is a bluegrass band comprised of multi-talented instrumentalists and vocalists Heather Berry Mabe, Tony Mabe, Curt Love, and Jonathan Dillon.
Musically, Red Camel Collective’s sound is both eclectic and deeply rooted, blending traditional bluegrass and classic country influences with original songs and fresh, modern elements and uniquely their own.
Formed in 2024, their band name was derived from the song "The Man In Red Camels" written by Timmy Massey and Rick Pardue. Red Camels are a vintage clothing brand best known for their iconic overalls. This name reflects the band's dedication to tradition, authenticity, and timeless style.
Accolades soon followed:
-In 2024, lead vocalist Heather Berry Mabe earned Momentum Vocalist of the Year honors from the IBMA.
-In the spring of 2025, the band’s debut album spent three consecutive months at #1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart—an impressive achievement for a newly formed group.
-The band went on to receive the prestigious IBMA New Artist of the Year Award in 2025.
-Shortly after, in 2026, Heather was named Female Vocalist of the Year at the SPBGMA Awards in Nashville.
-In February of 2026, RCC made their Grand Ole Opry Debut in Nashville, TN, where the band received resounding applause and a standing ovation.
-In May of 2026 RCC was honored to play the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.
Meet the Band
Heather Berry Mabe
Lead Vocals/Guitar
Heather Berry Mabe was born and raised in Sherando, Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She grew up playing bluegrass, folk, country, and gospel music.
She's recorded numerous albums during her career, including two recordings for Tom T. & Miss Dixie Hall's label, Blue Circle Records. Heather has been performing professionally for 25 years. In that time she's played with some of the most well known musicians in the business. She's graced the stages of the Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.
In 2018 she played Johnny Cash's Memorial Festival at his home place in Dyess, Arkansas along with Alison Krauss, Suzanne Cox, and Jamie Johnson. Heather played Mother Maybelle's guitar that day in the old fashioned "Carter Scratch" style that she mastered in her youth while the harmonies between Heather, Alison, Suzanne, and Anna Christina Cash soared. Those performances only solidified what Heather Berry Mabe fans have known for years...that she belongs among the best of the best musically, vocally, and professionaly.
She is a 5 time IBMA Award winner, including the 2024 Momentum Vocalist of the Year Award, and the 2025 New Artist Of The Year With Red Camel Collective
She is the SPBGMA 2026 Female Vocalist of The Year!
Heather has been gifted with a "mountain clear voice," to quote Miss Dixie Hall. The late Miss Dixie also stated "Tom T. and I have had Heather pegged for some time now as being as awesome as Allison, of the caliber of Emmylou and unassumingly sharing the legendary quality of Maybelle." Peter Cooper, Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and producer, had this to say of Heather: “In the music business, we spend a lot of time talking about purity, beauty, tone, pitch and heart. Then Heather Berry sings and we just shut up and listen.”
TONY MABE
BANJO, GUITAR, VOCALS
Tony Mabe, Jr. resides with his wife Heather in his hometown of Walnut Cove, North Carolina. He has been playing music since the age of six, when he pecked out his first hymn on the piano with no instruction whatsoever. Since that time he's mastered many instruments including bluegrass and clawhammer style banjo, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bass, and trumpet.
Over the years he's played with several well known bluegrass bands including, The James King Band, The Jeanette Williams Band, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass, and Bobby Atkins & The Countrymen.
He's won and placed at many fiddlers conventions over the years and is a SPBGMA Banjo Player of the Year nominee.
His musicianship is exceptional and first class, his vocals are soulful and pure, and he is a fan favorite wherever he performs.
Johnathan dillon
MANDOLIN, VOCALS, BUS EXPERT
Johnathan Dillon, from Wirtz, VA, began playing music at the age of seven. John started with mandolin then later moved on to banjo, guitar, and bass. He began playing local shows with his band The Johnathan Dillon Band for about five years. Later he spent three years as a member of Michelle Nixon & Drive where he recorded one album, "A Place I Belong." In August of 2013 he began touring as a member of Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice. Johnathan lists some of his mandolin influences as Dempsey Young, Adam Steffey, Doyle Lawson, Herschel Sizemore and Dan Tyminski, just to name a few.
In addition to playing with Red Camel Collective, John has been a member of the Junior Sisk Band for 10 years. He is a talented young man, playing and singing at the very top level. He also has driven bus for too many bands to mention here. He is a stellar bus mechanic and driver.
Curt Love
BASS
Curt has been loving bluegrass music since the tender age of 3 when he first heard the band IIIrd Tyme Out.
He's an exceptional banjo player, guitar player, and bassist whose musical influences range from the traditional sounds of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver to the Jazz stylings of the Miles Davis Quintet.
Curt is one of the very finest bass players in the business. His tone, clarity, power, and timing are second to none.
In addition to playing with Red Camel Collective, Curt has been a member of the Junior Sisk Band since 2020.