Son Volt
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Son Volt is a popular music group formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1994, after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo. Son Volt is often considered the closest continuance of Uncle Tupelo's sound and musical legacy.
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Lineup
Formed by songwriter Jay Farrar (guitar, harmonica, vocals), the group includes former Uncle Tupelo bandmate Mike Heidorn (drums), multi-instrumentalist Dave Boquist (banjo, fiddle, guitar, lap steel), and Jim Boquist (bass guitar). Eric Heywood (mandolin, pedal steel) has also performed and recorded with the group.
Recording Career
Son Volt has released three full-length albums on Warner Brothers Records: Trace (1995), Straightaways (1997), and Wide Swing Tremolo (1998). Trace was hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top albums of 1995, and there has been no shortage of critical acclaim since.
Style
Their music ranges from quiet folk/country ballads reminiscent of Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding, to barhouse rockers in the spirit of Neil Young with Crazy Horse. They are often compared to early Wilco, The Jayhawks, and Automatic for the People era R.E.M.. Often considered a staple band of the alternative country movement, their music is perhaps better described as genre-spanning traditional American music.
Hiatus
Son Volt was dropped from their record label contract with Warner Bros, and beginning in 2001, Jay Farrar has also released several solo efforts that have postponed further releases from Son Volt. He has publicly stated that Son Volt has not disbanded permanently, calling the time away from Son Volt a temporary hiatus.
External links
- Son Volt on Warner Brothers Records (http://www.wbr.com/sonvolt)
- Official Jay Farrar site (http://jayfarrar.net)
- Gumbo Pages - Son Volt / Jay Farrar (http://www.gumbopages.com/son-volt.html)