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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Son Volt| image = Sonvolt.jpg| caption = Son Volt playing at Wakarusa in 2005| background = group_or_band| origin = St. Louis, Missouri , United States|USA | Instruments =| genre = Alternative country | years_active = 1994–present| label = Transmit Sound/ Legacy Recordings|Legacy Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. Nashville | associated_acts = Uncle Tupelo , Blood Oranges | website = http://www.sonvolt.net www.sonvolt.net| current_members = Jay Farrar Dave Bryson Andrew Duplantis James Walbourne Mark Spencer (guitarist)|Mark Spencer | past_members = Brad Rice Mike Heidorn Dave Boquist Jim Boquist Chris Masterson Eric Heywood Derry deBorja| Son Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo .
History
The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and recorded in the Minneapolis area in late 1994. The group performed its first concert at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on June 16, 1995. While half of the band was rooted in the Minneapolis area, Farrar and Heidorn lived in the St. Louis area, and the band used both cities as bases for its operations during the first couple of years.
Hiatus and return
Son Volt was dropped from their record label contract with Warner Bros. Records, and announced a hiatus after their 1999 tour. Beginning in 2001, Jay Farrar released several solo efforts that postponed further releases from Son Volt. Farrar reformed with the original members of Son Volt to record a song for a tribute album for Alejandro Escovedo . The sessions reportedly went so well that Farrar and the other band members intended to record once again in the autumn of 2004. Just prior to the sessions, however, Farrar ended negotiations with the other band members abruptly.Citation needed|date=June 2010 Insisting that the Son Volt trademark belonged to himCitation needed|date=June 2010 , Farrar formed a new version of the band with a different line-up and released an album on Transmit Sound/Sony Legacy, Okemah and the Melody of Riot .,NPR.org. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=4817987 Son Volt Is Back: Okemah and the Melody of Riot. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2007. in 2005. 2006 saw the release of a live CD and DVD called Six String Belief. In 2007 the band released a studio album called The Search. A new Son Volt album, American Central Dust , was released by Rounder Records on July 7, 2009.See the band's http://www.sonvolt.net/ website.
Music
Son Volt's music ranges from quiet folk music|folk / country music|country ballads reminiscent of Bob Dylan 's John Wesley Harding (album)|John Wesley Harding , to barhouse rockers in the spirit of Neil Young with Crazy Horse (band)|Crazy Horse . Often considered a staple band of the alternative country movement, their music is perhaps better described as genre-spanning Americana (music)|traditional American music .
Son Volt's first album, Trace (album)|Trace , met with critical acclaim and topped many "best-of" lists in 1995, despite not being a large commercial success. Two follow-up albums (1997's Straightaways and 1998's Wide Swing Tremolo ) continued in the same vein. A Retrospective: 1995-2000 , released in 2005, gathered highlights from this era, along with previously unreleased recordings.
Members
Current members
Jay Farrar ( guitar , harmonica , Singing|vocals ), formerly of Uncle Tupelo
Mark Spencer (guitarist)|Mark Spencer ( Keyboard instrument|keyboards , steel guitar), formerly of Blood Oranges
The new Son Volt line-up began touring March 26, 2007, in support of their album The Search , which was released March 6, 2007 on Transmit Sound/Legacy. Credits for the album include Jay Farrar (vocal, guitar, piano), Dave Bryson (drums), Derry deBorja (keyboards), Andrew Duplantis (bass, backing vocals) and Brad Rice (guitar). Bryson and Duplantis played with the Meat Puppets , first as the Royal Neanderthal Orchestra. Lead guitarist and former member of Jack Ingram's band Chris Masterson replaced Brad Rice as the touring guitarist on the 2007 tour. Mark Spencer (guitarist)|Mark Spencer , formerly of Blood Oranges and the touring guitarist for many Jay Farrar solo shows, joined Son Volt in 2008 as a keyboardist and steel guitar player. The lineup of Farrar, Duplantis, Bryson, Spencer and Masterson recorded the 2009 album 'American Central Dust'. Guitarist James Walbourne, who also plays lead guitar in The Pretenders, replaced Masterson as the touring guitarist in Summer 2009.
Mike Heidorn ( Drum kit|drums ), formerly of Uncle Tupelo
Dave Boquist ( banjo , fiddle , guitar, lap steel )
Jim Boquist ( bass guitar )
Chris Masterson ( guitar )
Eric Heywood ( mandolin , pedal steel )
Discography
Trace (album)|Trace (1995), Warner Bros. Records #166 (US)
Straightaways (1997), Warner Bros. Records #44 (US)
Wide Swing Tremolo (1998), Warner Bros. Records #93 (US)
A Retrospective: 1995-2000 (2005), Warner Bros. Records/Rhino
Afterglow 61 (2005) EP, Transmit Sounds Records / Legacy Recordings
Okemah and the Melody of Riot (2005), Transmit Sounds Records / Legacy Recordings #89 (US)
The Search (album)|The Search (March 2007), Transmit Sounds Records / Legacy Recordings #81 (US)
American Central Dust (July 2009), Rounder Records #44 (US)
References
External links
Commons category|Son Volt
http://www.sonvolt.net Son Volt's Site
http://www.thewheelsstillinspin.com/2007/03/son_volt_the_se.html Short story review of The Search at The Wheel's Still In Spin
Features and CD reviews of http://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/artist.asp? xid=204& c=149 Son Volt at the Country Standard Time web site
Category:American country rock groups Category:American alternative country groups Category:Musical groups established in 1994 Category:Musical groups from Missouri Category:Musical quintets
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