OLDHAM JOINS TRUCKERS

From www.drivebytruckers.com

Spooner Oldham to join the Drive-By Truckers on The Dirt Underneath Tour

The Dirt Underneath Tour
(acoustic..stories and songs sitting down / tales facing up)

Y’ALL:

Everyone has seen The Godfather (I hope at least a time or two) and knows that a man can’t turn down a request on the day of his daughter’s wedding.

Spooner Oldham

With that said, last weekend I was in Memphis attending the wedding of my dear friend Roxanne Oldham. Her father is Spooner Oldham, who has played keyboards on some of my favorite records ever made. Spooner and my father have played together off and on for 40 years. His is that incredible Wurlitzer part that begins Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man (The Way That I Love You).” He also played on “Do Right Woman” and has co-written some of the greatest songs ever recorded. He has additionally toured and made records with Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Last summer he toured with Crosby Stills Nash and Young. He also played keys on “When The Pin Hits the Shell” on our Decoration Day album.

We had decided some time back that we wanted him to record again with us this summer. With that in mind, last weekend we asked him to come out with us on THE DIRT UNDERNEATH TOUR. He’ll be with us in Athens this weekend and then get in the bus and play for the next two weeks. That way we’ll be all tightened up in June when we begin tracking the 8th DBT album.

Additionally, John Neff is all fired up and ready to do some double duty on guitar and pedal steel on our upcoming shows and the next album. He and Shonna will both be stepping up to the mic to help with harmonies and such.

Spirits are high all around, as the songs are continuing to come together and everyone is thrilled and excited to begin this next chapter of the continuing saga that is Drive-By Truckers.

See you soon at a venue near you.

Patterson Hood
Drive-By Truckers

Drive-By Truckers toud dates available HERE.

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From www.drivebytruckers.com

Y’ALL:

Jason Isbell by Dave Vann

It’s with a wide range of emotions and feelings that I’m announcing that we have parted ways with Jason [Isbell – guitar]. The split, which I consider extremely amicable, is the result of a period of personal and artistic growth from all sides which has left us with differing dreams and goals.

Jason joined our band, mid-tour, in the fall of 2001, shortly after the release of our 4th album (Southern Rock Opera). His impact on the band was immediate and profound, bringing an awe-inspiring combination of vocal range, guitar dexterity, and amazing songwriting and leading us into an era of creativity that has resulted in three albums that I will be proud of for as long as I live.

Life in a band is always a delicate balancing act of personal and musical chemistries. Having been in bands for most of my life, I still marvel that any band stays together for longer than a year. Especially if the band in question spends anywhere from 150-220 days a year on the road, as our band has done since 1998. That said, I have also likened this band to a family. A big, messy, sometimes dysfunctional one, but a family full of love all the same. It is in this spirit that I plan on Jason continuing to be a part of our lives wherever our roads and dreams take us in the immediate future.

Jason is about to embark on a tour (including a leg of dates with Son Volt) with his stellar band and will be releasing (finally) his amazing solo album Sirens of the Ditch on July 10 from New West Records. We all are wishing him nothing but the absolute best on every step that plays before him.

Cooley and I will have played together for 22 years this summer and DBT is about to begin its 12th year of existence on the very day that we will be going into the studio to begin recording our 8th album. Cooley recently sent me a demo of five new songs and yesterday I demoed nine new ones for consideration. In addition to Shonna and Brad (who is coming up on ten years in the band) John Neff will be playing with us full time, playing both guitar and pedal steel. John was a founding member of the band in ’96 and has already played on four of our albums and has been on the road with us, full time for going on two years.

It is my sincere and adamant hope that everyone will support all of us, and by that I mean our band and Jason’s, as we deal with this transition. Jason’s tenure in this band has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me on a personal and musical level and our love for him and his music is in no way changed or endangered by our collective decision to move into different directions.

In addition to the upcoming THE DIRT UNDERNEATH tour and the recording of our next album, we will also be playing some special ROCK SHOW dates this summer and hope to do another leg or two of THE DIRT UNDERNEATH in the fall.

As always, the bond that we have with each other, as well as with the folks that come to our shows and listen to our records has always been one of the things that has set this band apart. We plan to continue on in that tradition and spirit and hope you will come with us as we attempt to tell another tale and Rock the nights away a little while longer.

Sincerely Yours,
Patterson Hood
Drive-By Truckers

Jason Isbell has a new solo album, Sirens of the Ditch, due July 10 from New West Records.