The band currently consists of Mike Cooley (lead vocals, guitar, banjo), Patterson Hood (lead vocals, guitar), Brad Morgan (drums), Jay Gonzalez (keys, guitar, accordion, backing vocals), and Matt Patton (bass guitar, backing vocals). The line-up has undergone multiple changes since the band's formation, with Cooley and Hood serving as the sole constants throughout.[3] The band's constant touring has developed a dedicated following.[4]
History
1996–1999: Early days
Drive-By Truckers was cofounded by Patterson Hood (son of bassist David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and longtime friend, former roommate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996. The two had played in various other bands including Adam's House Cat, which was chosen as a top-10 Best Unsigned Band by a Musician contest in the late 1980s. Adam's House Cat recordings, entitled Town Burned Down were released in September 2018 via ATO Records.[5] After the demise of Adam's House Cat, Cooley and Hood performed as a duo under the name Virgil Kane. They eventually started a new band, Horsepussy, with bassist-vocalist Adam Howell (later to join DBT) and Aaron Bryant (brother of DBT webmaster Jenn Bryant) before splitting for a few years. During this split, Hood moved to Athens and began forming what would become Drive-By Truckers, "with the intent of luring Cooley back into the fold".[6]
The band's original lineup was fluid, but it most often included Hood, Cooley, and Howell, along with drummer Matt Lane, pedal steel player John Neff, and mandolin player Barry Sell. They released their first album Gangstabilly in 1998. With Hood and Cooley sometimes playing mandolin and banjo instead of guitar, and Howell playing double bass. After recording their first album, the band added a third guitarist/vocalist, Rob Malone. By the second album, Pizza Deliverance, released in 1999, Howell had left, Malone switched to bass, and Sell had left the band. Neff was also listed as a guest rather than a member, although he plays on much of the album. Hood dominated the songwriting and lead vocals in these early records, but Cooley, Howell, and Malone also contributed songs, with Cooley's songwriting share increasing notably by the second album.
Following their second release, Lane was replaced by drummer Brad Morgan, who had already filled in for Lane during some of the band's shows. Morgan went on to become the band's other constant member along with Hood and Cooley. With Neff also having declined to remain a full-time band contributor, Hood and Cooley were left as the only original members. The band then embarked on a nationwide tour as a four-piece band, resulting in a live album entitled Alabama Ass Whuppin' (released in 2000 by Second Heaven Records, re-released in 2002 by Terminus Records and again in 2013 on ATO Records).[7]
2000–2001: Southern Rock Opera
After three years on the road, a tight-knit group of musicians had emerged. Malone had switched back to guitar, giving the band a three-member guitar army like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Earl Hicks, a friend who had previously been involved in the band's production, took over the bass slot. They then began work on 2001's double album, Southern Rock Opera.
The album weaves the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd into a narrative about a fictitious rock band called Betamax Guillotine, whose story unfolds within the context of the South during the 1970s. Southern Rock Opera was originally released independently on Drive-By Truckers' own Soul Dump Records on September 12, 2001, and garnered praise from fans and critics alike. To meet the new demand brought on by, among other things, a four-star review in Rolling Stone, Southern Rock Opera was reissued by Mercury and Lost Highway Records in July 2002. Soon after, Drive-By Truckers were named Band of the Year by No Depression.
While Drive-By Truckers were touring in support of Southern Rock Opera, the band ran into a problem when they were left with only two guitarists (Cooley and Hood) following the departure of Rob Malone in late 2001. The band added fellow Alabamian guitarist and songwriter Jason Isbell to their line-up as the band's third guitarist. During his five years with Drive-By Truckers, Isbell's compositions became as highly praised as those of Cooley and Hood.[8]
2001–2006: With Jason Isbell
After signing a new deal with Austin-based record label New West, Drive-By Truckers set about recording the follow-up to Southern Rock Opera. The result was 2003's Decoration Day, which like its predecessor, received much critical praise.[citation needed] It is another concept album, containing characters who are faced with hard decisions about marriage, incest, break-ups, revenge, murder, and suicide. The album features an eclectic mix of the band's newer rootsy, hard-rocking sound with some of their older alt-country sound. Former member John Neff returned as a guest to play pedal steel on about half the album, although he did not tour with the band for the album.
After years of producing and playing with Drive-By Truckers, bassist Earl Hicks left the band on December 22, 2003. Hicks was immediately replaced by studio bassist Shonna Tucker, then-wife of guitarist Jason Isbell. Tucker had previously guested on Decoration Day, playing upright bass on the Cooley-penned track "Sounds Better in the Song".
In 2004, Drive-By Truckers released yet another concept album entitled The Dirty South, which further explored the mythology of the South, with songs focusing on Sam Phillips and Sun Records, John Henry, and a three-song suite about Sheriff Buford Pusser. With Cooley and Isbell each contributing 4 songs on the 14-song set, it was the band's first album for which Hood did not write the majority of songs.
After touring throughout 2004 and 2005, Drive-By Truckers found their way to the Fidelitorium Recording Studio in Forsyth County, North Carolina, during late 2005. These recording sessions, once again produced by David Barbe, resulted in the band's seventh LP, A Blessing and a Curse. Released on April 18, 2006, A Blessing and a Curse showcased Drive-By Truckers' ability to branch out into new territory, and can be seen as the band's attempt at shaking labeling by critics, detractors, fans, and followers, particularly the Southern rock label that has haunted the band since Southern Rock Opera. The album sounds less like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more closely resembles the bare-bones British rock of the early 1970s such as The Rolling Stones and Faces. Tom Petty, Blue Öyster Cult, and Neil Young's influence on the band's sound is more prominent on this album, as well.[9]
On September 1, 2009, Drive-By Truckers released a collection of B-sides and rarities entitled The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities which were recorded during the Decoration Day and Dirty South sessions. Though released after he left the band, the album includes two tracks written by Jason Isbell.
2006–2009: Changing lineup
Drive-By Truckers in 2008
In 2006, Drive-By Truckers reunited, both on-stage and on-record, with Athens-based, Savannah-born pedal steel guitaristJohn Neff. Neff had been featured on one song on A Blessing and a Curse. During the next year, Neff began touring with the band as an unofficial sixth member.
On April 5, 2007, Jason Isbell announced that he was no longer a member of the band. The following day, Patterson Hood confirmed the break on the official site. In his letter to the fans, Hood described the parting of ways as "amicable" and expressed the hope that fans would continue to support Drive-By Truckers, as well as Isbell's solo efforts. In the same letter, Hood announced that Neff would become a full-time member, playing both guitar and pedal steel. Six years after Isbell's departure from the band, he revealed the reported "amicab[ility]" of the split was a charade and that he had been forced out. Because his excessive drinking and drug use had made Isbell unreliable, Hood had asked him to take a break from the band; upon Isbell's refusal, Cooley informed Isbell "that isn't going to work for us".[10]
Shortly after Isbell's departure, on April 20, 2007, Patterson Hood announced via the band's website that a longtime friend of the Hood family, Spooner Oldham, would be joining the band playing keyboard for a string of acoustic performances called The Dirt Underneath Tour. This stripped-down tour set the writing mood and style for the band's next release, 2008's Brighter Than Creation's Dark, a far more "swampy" and country record than its predecessor. Brighter Than Creation's Dark went to number 37 on the Billboard 200 album chart and was billed as a gothic masterpiece. Spooner Oldham contributed to the recording of the album, and toured with the band in support of the record. The record boasted 19 tracks, clocked in at over 75 minutes (so the record's vinyl format was released as a double album), and features the first song contributions from bassist Shonna Tucker. Keyboardist/backing vocalist Jay Gonzalez went on to tour with the band once Oldham stopped at the end of Brighter Than Creation's Dark's Home Front Tour.
On July 7, 2009, New West Records released the band's second official live album and DVD called Live From Austin TX. Material from Brighter Than Creation's Dark made up the majority of the mostly acoustic set-list. This was the first official release featuring Jay Gonzalez as the official sixth band member. Hood later recalled this recording as "absolutely the best filmed performance our band has ever had".[11]
2009–2011: Departing New West Records
After being released from New West Records, the Drive-By Truckers entered the studio throughout periods of 2009 and emerged with two albums' worth of material. The songs were divided between The Big To Do (2010) and the Drive-By Truckers "R&B Murder Album" Go-Go Boots (2011). The Big To-Do further brought media attention to the band, resulting in their highest chart success, appearances on David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon's late night shows, and a scheduled tour opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.[3] During a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman in June 2011, the band played a cover of Eddie Hinton's song "Everybody Needs Love" and were asked by Letterman to play an encore. Along with John Hiatt, English band The Heavy and Alabama-based St. Paul and The Broken Bones,[12] they are the only musical act ever asked to play an encore on his show. As the band's contract with New West Records expired after The Fine Print was released, the band signed and released The Big To-Do and Go-Go Boots on ATO Records.
On April 17, 2010, the band released a single penned by Mike Cooley to commemorate Record Store Day. "Your Woman Is a Living Thing"/"Just Maybe" is the only record the Drive-By Truckers have released solely in a vinyl format. Digital downloads of the single can now be found on the band's website, as well as Facebook. Based on the success of the single, the band decided to release a limited edition (2,500 copies) special 10-inch 45 with two new songs, "The Thanksgiving Filter"/"Used to Be a Cop", on Black Friday of 2010. Both songs also appear on the album Go-Go Boots.
2011–2017: More lineup changes, English Oceans and American Band
On December 5, 2011, Patterson Hood announced via Facebook that bassist Shonna Tucker had left the Drive-By Truckers. He did not cite any of Tucker's reasons for leaving the band and merely stated, "we all love and respect her and wish her all of the best in everything she sets out for." David Barbe replaced Tucker for their subsequent shows until Matt Patton of The Dexateens joined the band for their spring 2012 tour.[14] John Neff also departed on December 27, 2012; no third guitar replacement was announced, and all tours during 2013 consisted of Cooley and Hood on guitar with Gonzalez alternating between keyboard and guitar.[15] Since that time, Gonzalez has continued to play both keyboards and guitar, allowing the band to duplicate their trademark three-guitar sound when necessary.
During the Drive-By Truckers' 2013 New Year's Eve show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., an expanded vinyl release of their first live album, Alabama Ass Whuppin' was announced to be released in 2013.
On August 3, 2013, Hood's Instagram account revealed the band had begun recording their next album at Chase Park Transduction in Athens. Released on March 4, 2014, English Oceans showed that Gonzalez had become an official member of the band. Reduced to five members again, the band showcased a more simple and direct hard-rocking style on the album.[16] The album debuted at number 16 on the Billboard charts, which represented the best charting of their career.
The band released no new studio album in 2015, but instead released a sprawling live album entitled It's Great to Be Alive. The album was recorded over a three-night run at the Fillmore in San Francisco, on November 20, 21 and 22, 2014.
The band released their 11th album, American Band, on September 30, 2016. The album featured the same line-up as English Oceans, and featured the most politically oriented lyrics of the band's career.[1] A 2017 article in Australia's Overland literary magazine suggested, with reference to American Band, that "no-one in the modern era is making stronger protest music than this Athens, Georgia band".[17] They announced a tour in support of the record, the Darkened Flags Tour, in June of the same year.[18]
In November 2017, they released the politically charged single "The Perilous Night", showing a continuation of their increased focus on protest songs.[19]
2018–present: The Unraveling, The New OK and Welcome 2 Club XIII
On September 11, 2018, the band shared a photo via their Instagram page alluding that they were currently working on their 12th studio album.[20] The album, titled The Unraveling, was released on January 31, 2020, making it the longest gap between studio albums for the band so far.[1]
On June 17, 2020, NPR published an opinion piece by Patterson Hood, wherein he apologized for the band's name and called it "a drunken joke that was never intended to be in rotation and reckoned with two-and-a-half decades later".[21]
On September 30, 2020, just eight months after the release of The Unraveling, the band announced their thirteenth studio album, The New OK. It was made available on all streaming platforms the following Friday.[22]
On April 12, 2022, the band announced their fourteenth studio album, Welcome 2 Club XIII. The same day, the title track was released as the first promotional single. The title derives from the venue where founding members Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley performed at the start of their careers.
Work with others
In 2007, Drive-By Truckers backed up Bettye LaVette on her comeback album The Scene of the Crime, which was released on September 25 on Anti Records. Scene of the Crime was mostly recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. On it, LaVette transforms country and rock songs written by Willie Nelson, Elton John, and Don Henley, among others, into devastating[according to whom?] mini-dramas. Scene of the Crime was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album" and landed on numerous "Best of 2007" lists. Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood produced the album alongside LaVette. The album also features one song cowritten by LaVette and Hood.
Drive-By Truckers backed up Booker T. Jones on his instrumental album Potato Hole, which was released on April 21, 2009. Neil Young also contributed over-dubbed guitar work to the album; the Drive-By Truckers and he never met in studio. Potato Hole features a re-recording of the Cooley penned track "Space City", which originally was released on the album A Blessing And A Curse. The band performed with Jones as "Booker T and the DBTs" at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 14, 2009. On January 31, 2010, Potato Hole won the Best Pop Instrumental Album award at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
In late 2009, Barr Weissman released a documentary on the Drive-By Truckers entitled The Secret To A Happy Ending. The film follows the band over three particularly straining years of their career, and captures their near break up, as well as the departure of Jason Isbell from the band.
Drive-By Truckers' lyrics are noted for expressing the progressive political views of the band, particularly band member and songwriter Patterson Hood.[58][59] Jonathan Bernstein, writing for Rolling Stone, described American Band as the group's most politically charged album, describing the songs as "blunt, pissed-off Trump-era anthems",[60] nearly half which deal with gun violence.[60] The song "Ramon Casiano" is about the little known story of gun rights advocate and former NRA leader Harlon Carter, who shot and killed a 15-year-old Hispanic boy in 1931, but escaped incarceration.[61] Hood wrote "What it Means" in response to the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, unarmed black teenagers whose killings sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.[62] “Surrender Under Protest,” “Ever South,” and “Guns of Umpqua” examine generations of racial injustice in a country that "shoots first and asks questions later."[62] "Once They Banned Imagine" discusses censorship of art in times of crisis, particularly after the September 11 attacks. Band member and songwriter Mike Cooley recalled that "After the 9/11 attacks, Clear Channel put out that list of songs that their stations shouldn’t play. I couldn’t get my head around the notion that John Lennon’s "Imagine" was on that list, that it was something we didn’t need to hear at a time when it was exactly what we needed to hear. The Red Scare, the War on Crime, the War on Terrorism, they’re just excuses for cracking down on anything the establishment finds objectionable.”[63] The follow-up album, The Unraveling, continues the band's political songwriting, with "Thoughts and Prayers" and "Babies in Cages" discussing the issues of gun violence and the Trump administration family separation policy directly.[64]The New OK contained songs written in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon and the COVID-19 pandemic.[65]
Online presence and artwork
The band's online presence was created in 1996, and is still maintained by long-time friend Jenn Bryant.[66] It has been credited with helping the band gain momentum.[67] The band also began to use another long-time friend, Wes Freed, to produce the band's signature visual style with his cover art and posters.[68] Freed continued his collaborative work with them until his death in 2022.[69] In March 2014, the newly debuted English Oceans album cover was named Album Art of the Month by Consequence of Sound editor Dan Caffrey.[68] However, the band's constant touring and lauded live shows largely developed their dedicated following.[4]
The Secret to a Happy Ending: A Documentary About the Drive-By Truckers (2011)
Related Research Articles
Southern Rock Opera is the third studio album by the American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released in 2001. A double album covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 1970s stadium rock, Southern Rock Opera either imagines, or filters, every topic through the context of legendary Southern band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The record was originally self-released on Soul Dump Records. The album was re-released on July 16, 2002 by Lost Highway Records. The album was financed by issuing promissory notes in exchange for loans from fans, family and friends of the band.
Decoration Day is a rock album released by Drive-By Truckers in 2003. The album was recorded mostly live over two weeks at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, Georgia, and was produced by noted producer and former Sugar bassist David Barbe. The album is the Truckers' fifth, including their live album Alabama Ass Whuppin', following the critically acclaimed Southern Rock Opera. The album features a more mellow, stripped down, and reserved sound compared to Southern Rock Opera's heavy hitting southern rock.
The Dirty South is the fifth album by American rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 2004. The Dirty South is Drive-By Truckers' second concept album. Like its predecessor, Southern Rock Opera, the album examines the state of the South, and unveils the hypocrisy, irony, and tragedy that continues to exist.
A Blessing and a Curse is the sixth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released in 2006. It peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200, which was the highest charting for the band until 2008's follow up, Brighter Than Creation's Dark, which hit #37.
Pizza Deliverance is the second album released by Alabama rock band Drive-By Truckers, released in 1999. It was recorded in five days at Patterson Hood's house. The album was mixed by Andy LeMaster. The album cover art was created by Jim Stacy. The album was re-released by New West Records on January 25, 2005 along with the band's first studio effort, Gangstabilly.
Gangstabilly is the 1998 debut album of American rock band Drive-By Truckers. The album was recorded "live in the studio" over the course of two days and was produced by Andy Baker and Andy LeMaster. The album's cover art was created by Jim Stacy. The album was re-released on January 25, 2005 by New West Records along with the band's second studio effort, Pizza Deliverance.
Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won six Grammy Awards.
Brighter Than Creation's Dark is the seventh studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers. It was released on January 22, 2008 in the United States.
Sirens of the Ditch is the debut solo album released by singer-songwriter and former Drive-By Truckers lead guitarist, Jason Isbell. The album was released on July 10, 2007.
Potato Hole is a 2009 album by Booker T. Jones, recorded with Drive-By Truckers as the backing band and guitar accompaniment by Neil Young.
Live From Austin, TX is the second live album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers. It was released as a two disc CD/DVD combo. It was recorded on September 26, 2008, and boasts an almost twelve-minute recording of the song "18 Wheels of Love," which was originally released on their first album Gangstabilly.
The Fine Print is a compilation album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers. Released in 2009, it consists unreleased material mostly recorded throughout the making of their albums Decoration Day and The Dirty South; a highly prolific period for the band. It features album artwork and a sample of concert posters from 2009 by Wes Freed, and is produced by David Barbe.
The Big To-Do is the eighth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released on March 16, 2010. It is their first album released on ATO Records, which they signed to after completing their four album deal with New West Records.
Patterson David Hood is an American singer-songwriter and co-founder of the band Drive-By Truckers.
Ugly Buildings, Whores, and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998–2009 is a compilation album released by New West Records of songs coming from the first seven albums of the Drive-By Truckers discography. It was produced by David Barbe and "leads fans on an abbreviated journey of what the band has accomplished in their first 11 years." The album was released on compact disc and vinyl formats.
Shonna Tucker is an American bassist and songwriter from Killen, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.
John Michael Cooley is an American songwriter, singer, and guitarist from Tuscumbia, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals. He is a member of the band Drive-By Truckers.
English Oceans is the tenth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released on March 4, 2014, by ATO Records. It was produced by long-time collaborator David Barbe and recorded during two weeks in the late spring of 2013. Wes Freed again provided the album's artwork and cover. English Oceans marks the first time the Drive-By Truckers returned to the studio in four years and is one of three records the band has released with two songwriters. It's also the band's first record after bassist Matt Patton officially joined the band.
American Band is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released on September 30, 2016 on ATO Records. Produced by long-time collaborator David Barbe, and recorded in the summer of 2016, it is the first Drive-By Truckers album since 1999's Pizza Deliverance not to feature cover art by their longtime collaborator Wes Freed.
The New OK is the thirteenth studio album by American southern rock band Drive-By Truckers, released digitally on October 2, 2020 and physically on December 18, 2020 on ATO Records. It consists of outtakes from their previous album The Unraveling, songs dating as far back as 2011, and songs Patterson Hood recorded over the summer of 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon and COVID-19 pandemic. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard's top Americana/Folk Albums chart the week of January 1, 2021.
↑ Toth, James (February 6, 2019). "Heathens Still: Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood talks about looking back, looking forward and his band's Richmond roots". STYLE Weekly. pp.17–18. ...one of the nation's top Southern rock bands. The Secret To A Happy Ending [DVD]. ATO Records
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