Jason & the Scorchers
| Jason & The Scorchers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | Alternative country, cowpunk |
| Years active |
1981–2007 2010-present |
| Labels | Praxis (1981-1983) EMI (1983-1987) Mammoth Records (1997-1999) Courageous Chicken Records |
| Associated acts | Farmer Jason Ginger and The Scorchers The Wildhearts Dan Baird & Homemade Sin |
| Website | http://jasonandthescorchers.com/ |
| Members |
Jason Ringenberg Warner E. Hodges Al Collins Pontus Snibb |
| Past members | Jeff Johnson Andy York Ken Fox Kenny Ames Perry Baggs Jon Brant |
1981–2007
Jason & the Scorchers, originally Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, are an alternative country band that formed in 1981 and is led by singer/songwriter Jason Ringenberg.
With a sound that combines alternative rock and country music, Jason and the Scorchers are noted for their energetic live performances, and have earned strong reviews from critics, including Mark Deming, who declared they "blazed a trail for the cowpunk and alt-country movements that followed in their wake."
Jason and the Scorchers have maintained a loyal core group of fans around the world for more than 30 years. Jason and the Scorchers released their latest album Halcyon Times in February 2010.
A native of Sheffield, Illinois, Ringenberg attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and was a member of a short-lived acoustic trio in 1978. In late 1979, Ringenberg formed his first band, Shakespeare's Riot, the precursor of the Scorchers. Named after an oblique reference to the Astor Place Riot, Shakespeare's Riot played Ringenberg's original compositions, rockabilly songs and other similar styled tunes by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty); adapted to his high-energy country rock style.
Ringenberg disbanded Shakespeare's Riot and moved to Nashville in 1981. He was introduced to his original Scorcher bandmates through the independent Praxis record label, and the group soon established a strong reputation among indie rock circles.
Although country rock and rockabilly were not new concepts, they predated the raw sound of '70s punk and '80s alternative rock, and by the '80s, most country music resembled mainstream pop. Therefore. Jason and the Scorchers were something of a novelty in their hometown, Nashville, Tennessee, as their ragged, high-energy music was somewhat unprecedented. This made The Scorchers a natural for eclectic venues such as Nashville's Exit/In.
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