The story begins.... Once upon a time in the foothills of the Tennessee mountains, Mike Ness and Alison Krauss had a child. This little ankle biter, with her mother’s pure soulful voice and poetic lyrics, and her father’s rebellious charm and grit, decided to step out and raise a little hell of her own. If this tale were true, the baby’s name would be The Whiskey Gentry, a band of Atlanta misfits that is redefining alternative country. Formed in early 2009, The Whiskey Gentry combine the elements of Appalachian bluegrass, the simple twang of a Johnny Cash ballad, and a sliver of Social Distortion to create a sound that was recently described as "traditional on acid." Recorded at New Street Studios with legendary Atlanta engineer, Mike Wright (The Black Lips, Selmanaires, All the Saints), The Whiskey Gentry’s first self-titled EP is a glorious patchwork of seven very different musicians coming from all walks of punk, rock, and bluegrass; it weaves these elements together with Lauren Staley’s innocently stunning vocals, rendering an expressive compilation of folk tales. The result is the beginning of a full-length CD set for release in late 2009. The first four installments are songs that tell stories of the trials and tribulations of falling in and out of love and the attempts to bandage the heartache with a case of cheap beer and bad decisions. “On their four-song, self-titled EP, Lauren Staley sings like a fractured angel, who on Saturday nights tends to have a couple too many and is easily coaxed out of her party dress, only to regret it while sitting in the pew Sunday morning.” Al Kaufman (Atlanta Music Guide) Having recently opened up for Rhett Miller (Old 97’s), The Whiskey Gentry are in the process of finishing their full length album, and filming their first video for "Four Horsemen," before hitting the road for their national tour across America. This is a band that is equally comfortable playing in a roadside honky-tonk as they are performing on a major stage, and The Whiskey Gentry’s on-stage energy will guarantee some trips to the confessional.
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