[7] The band was formed in 1998 by Barry Abernathy, Steve Gulley (vocals, guitar), Adam Steffey (mandolin), and Jim VanCleve.
[18] In January 2007, Josh Shilling debuted as the band's new lead singer at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN.
In December 2007, mandolinist Aaron Ramsey replaced Steffey, making his debut also on the stage of The Grand Ole Opry.
Clay Jones returned replacing Hess in January 2009,[20] joining the band again at The Ark, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Among the album's featured guests are New Grass Revival front man & Doobie Brothers bassist, John Cowan,[25] legendary session drummer, Eddie Bayers,[26] and noted acoustic guitarist, Bryan Sutton.
[27] Produced by VanCleve and Mountain Heart, That Just Happened received high praise from critics,[28][29] scoring a Four Star rating from Country Weekly.
Jim VanCleve's solo album No Apologies, which featured all the members of Mountain Heart, was nominated for "Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year in 2007".