When they started out in 2001, Railroad Earth was basically a bunch of guys interested in playing acoustic instruments together. After a few months they found themselves cutting a demo and soon thereafter, to the band’s surprise, they were booked at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival before they’d even played their first gig. They’ve gone on to release seven critically acclaimed studio albums and one hugely popular live one, and along the way amassed a huge and loyal fanbase who turn up to support them in every corner of the country.

Defining their musical style isn’t always easy. With their unique acoustic instrumentation they don’t fit neatly into one category or another, but the six members of Railroad Earth can jam with the best of them and, while they have some bluegrass influences, they use drums and amplifiers. The band members themselves call their sound by different names: “rock played on acoustic instruments”, “amplified string band with drums”, “souped-up string band” or even “Country & Eastern”.Whatever they call it, they love playing it, the fans love hearing it and that’s what counts.

Their latest album is the 2017 Captain Nowhere.