Group Members:
Similar Artists:
Roger Clyne,
Wilco,
Matt Mays,
Starch Martins ,
The Hole Dozen ,
Dick Prall ,
Graham Brown ,
Bobby Bare, Jr.,
The Backsliders,
The Refreshments,
Todd Snider,
The Bottle Rockets,
Bad Livers,
Joe Ely,
Camper Van Beethoven,
Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers,
Drive-By Truckers
Followers:
Formal Connection With:
- Formed: 1993, Dallas, TX
- Genres: Rock
- Representative Albums: "Too Far to Care," "Blame It on Gravity," "Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's"
- Representative Songs: "Jagged," "Barrier Reef," "Doreen"
Biography
Although they became one of the most enduring bands in the alternative country-rock catalog, Old 97's drew inspiration from a wider range of sources, from the twangy stomp of cowpunk to the melodic craft of power pop. Formed in 1993 by frontman Rhett Miller and bassist Murry Hammond, the group spent the bulk of the decade posed on the brink of mainstream success, issuing albums that rountinely the Billboard charts but never yielded a substantial hit. Old 97's tightened their sound as the decade drew to a close, retaining their bar band vigor while introducing stronger elements of pop/rock on albums like Too Far to Care and Satellite Rides. Miller also mounted a solo career in the early 2000s, but the band remained together nonetheless, issuing critically lauded albums with their original lineup intact.Rhett Miller and Murry Hammond first launched a songwriting partnership in 1989, when Miller enlisted the latter's help in producing his debut solo album, Mythologies. Although six years younger than Hammond, Miller proved to be a dedicated musician as he canvassed the Dallas circuit, playing an earnest blend of folk and British-styled pop to local audiences. He also displayed a knack for storytelling, having previously earned a creative writing scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College. One year after Mythologies' release, Miller and Hammond teamed up once again, this time as part of the short-lived Sleepy Heroes.
Although the Sleepy Heroes disbanded after issuing one album, the band's mix of pop and Texas-styled twang helped lay the foundation for the Old 97's. Continuing to build upon that sound, Miller and Hammond partnered with lead guitarist Ken Bethea and recorded a demo tape at the Cedar Creek studio in Austin. Drummer Philip Peeples climbed on board shortly thereafter, and Hammond's childhood obsession with trains inspired the band's new name, which paid homage to the country ballad "Wreck of the Old 97." With their lineup cemented, Old 97's released the debut album Hitchhike to Rhome in 1994. It garnered positive reviews and began to build the group's alt-country fan base, which they consolidated on the album's follow-up, Wreck Your Life. Issued in 1995 by the newly formed Bloodshot Records -- a label that would later launch the alt-country careers of Neko Case and Ryan Adams -- Wreck Your Life presented Old 97's as a sharp, eclectic country-rock outfit with a pinup-worthy frontman. Such positive attention led to a major-label deal with Elektra Records, who hoped to translate the band's underground success into mainstream accolades.
Old 97's made their Elektra debut in 1997 with Too Far to Care, a muscular album that balanced the band's Texas traditionalism and pop leanings. Many publications placed the band among the leaders of the alt-country movement, and Old 97's toured extensively in support, joining the Lollapalooza tour that summer and playing alongside Whiskeytown for a series of shows sponsored by No Depression magazine. Issued two years later, 1999's Fight Songs offered another polished, pop-friendly set of songs, allowing the band to sell out 1,500-seat venues during its return to the road.
By this time, Miller had moved to Los Angeles and shed the thick, '50s-style glasses that had become a major part of his image. He and Hammond also began performing in an informal side project dubbed the Ranchero Brothers, although a proposed album never materialized. Instead, the musicians returned their focus to Old 97's, releasing another pop-influenced record with 2001's Satellite Rides. Miller took a temporary leave after its release to record a solo power pop record, The Instigator, which was released in late 2002. A lengthy period of relative inactivity followed, as the bandmembers found themselves in different cities, with several of them starting families.
The informal hiatus ended in 2004 with the release of Drag It Up, whose subsequent tour featured prominently on the double-disc live album Alive & Wired. Miller returned to his solo career with 2006's The Believer, with saw the frontman experimenting with string arrangements and orchestral flourishes. Old 97's returned to the studio once again in 2008, however, this time holing up in their native Dallas to help channel the vigor of their earlier albums. The move worked, and the resulting Blame It on Gravity delivered some of the band's strongest material in years. While touring the country in support, Murry Hammond launched his own solo career, packaging a wealth of old-timey gospel ballads and locomotive imagery onto the album
