PHOTO CREDIT: Brantley Gutierrez
The Drive-By Truckers became one of the most respected alt-country acts of the 2000s by applying equal parts history, folklore, politics, and character studies to present an unvarnished image of the South.
Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley started the band in 1996 after the pair had performed together since the 1980s. The band has had a fluid lineup – the original group that appeared on the debut album, 1996’s “Gangstabilly” was gone except for Hood and Cooley by the time they released a live record in 2000.
For 2001’s 2 disc Southern Rock Opera, the band expanded to a three guitar lineup like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band whose history plays into the album. While touring in support of the widely praised record one of the guitarists left and Jason Isbell was added to the lineup.
Continuing the fluidity in their lineup, Jason Isbell announced his departure from the group after three years. Soon the band added longtime friend Spooner Oldham and embarked on an acoustic tour followed by a new record “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark”. The mammoth 19 track record was hailed as a southern gothic masterpiece.
2020 saw the release of two albums from the band. First came “The Unraveling”. With a four year gap between records it was the longest period DBT had gone without a new record. They made up for it by releasing “The New OK” a few months later.
