Son Volt
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Jay Farrar |
| Headquarters | St. Louis / Minneapolis , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Jay Farrar, Andrew DuPlantis, John Horton, Mark Patterson, Mark Spencer |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
| Owner | Jay Farrar (implied) |
| Website | www |
Son Volt is a rock ensemble from the United States, established in 1994 by Jay Farrar after the dissolution of Uncle Tupelo. The band's current roster features Farrar on vocals and guitar, Andrew DuPlantis handling bass, John Horton on guitar, Mark Patterson playing drums, and Mark Spencer covering keyboard and steel guitar duties. Recognized for their role in the 1990s alternative country scene and their alternative rock style, their music also blends elements of folk rock and Americana. The group ceased activities in 2001 but regrouped in 2004.
Formation and early releases: Trace, Straightaways, and Wide Swing Tremolo
Following the split of Uncle Tupelo due to internal conflicts, Farrar created Son Volt with Jim and Dave Boquist plus former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn. Operating between Minneapolis and St. Louis, they debuted live on June 16, 1995, at Minneapolis’s 7th Street Entry venue.
Their first album, Trace, garnered critical praise alongside moderate commercial achievements. The track "Drown" climbed to No. 10 on mainstream rock charts and reached No. 25 on modern rock listings. By 2009, U.S. sales for Trace approached 300,000 copies.
The 1997 record Straightaways maintained their acoustic alternative country approach, receiving varied reviews yet earning commendations from sources such as the Orlando Sentinel and Chicago Tribune. Their subsequent 1998 release, Wide Swing Tremolo, shifted toward a more robust rock sound and was generally well-received; Entertainment Weekly remarked that it recaptured much of the intensity found in their debut.
Break period and comeback
After touring in 1999, Farrar announced a pause for Son Volt. Beginning in 2001, he focused on solo endeavors, which postponed new band material. Farrar briefly reunited with original members for a track on an Alejandro Escovedo tribute compilation. Encouraged by the successful sessions, plans were made to record again in autumn 2004; however, negotiations ended unexpectedly. Subsequently, Farrar assembled a fresh lineup and released Okemah and the Melody of Riot in 2005 via Transmit Sound/Sony Legacy—a folk-rock album drawing inspiration from protest artists like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. That same year brought out A Retrospective: 1995-2000, compiling key tracks and unreleased material. In 2006, a live DVD titled Six String Belief, filmed at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, was issued.
Reunion and subsequent releases
Returning to their roots in alternative rock and alt-country genres, Son Volt unveiled The Search in 2007. This was followed by July 2009’s Americana-tinged American Central Dust on Rounder Records. The band’s next effort, Honky Tonk, inspired by the Bakersfield Sound, was released in March 2013 through Rounder Records and supported by an extensive tour. On February 17, 2017, Son Volt issued Notes of Blue under Farrar's Transmit Sound label.
Recent albums: Union and Electro Melodier
Son Volt’s ninth studio album, Union, arrived on March 28, 2019 via Transmit Sound with distribution handled by Thirty Tigers Records. This release contained politically motivated tracks critiquing President Donald Trump’s administration while addressing themes such as middle-class economic struggles, press freedom, and immigration issues. Their tenth album, Electro Melodier, followed on July 30, 2021. Early that summer saw guitarist Chris Frame depart the band; he was succeeded by John Horton, formerly of the Bottle Rockets. In 2023, the tribute album Day of the Doug was released.
Musical style
Son Volt's repertoire ranges from subdued folk tunes that evoke the spirit of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan to robust heartland rock influenced by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Their music blends pronounced alternative rock characteristics while maintaining a strong foundation in Americana. The band is widely acknowledged as a pioneer within alternative country and remains a key figure in the alt-country genre, showcasing a dynamic style firmly anchored in Americana traditions.
Members
Current
- Jay Farrar (guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals), previously a member of Uncle Tupelo
- Mark Patterson (drums)
- John Horton (guitar), formerly associated with the Bottle Rockets
- Mark Spencer (keyboards, steel guitar, bass), ex-member of Blood Oranges
- Andrew DuPlantis (bass guitar)
Former
- Mike Heidorn (drums), original member and former Uncle Tupelo drummer
- Dave Boquist (banjo, fiddle, guitar, lap steel), founding member
- Jim Boquist (bass guitar, backing vocals), founding member
- Eric Heywood (mandolin, pedal steel)
- Brad Rice (guitar contributions on Okemah and the Melody of Riot and The Search)
- Derry deBorja (keyboards on The Search)
- Chris Masterson (guitar on American Central Dust)
- Gary Hunt (guitar, mandolin, steel guitar on Honky Tonk)
- Dave Bryson (drums across several albums)
- Jason Kardong (pedal steel on Notes of Blue)
- Jacob Edwards (drums on Notes of Blue)
- Chris Frame (guitar on Union and Electro Melodier)
Albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart positions | Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Heat. |
US Ind. |
US Alt. | |||
| Trace |
|
166 | 7 | — | — |
|
| Straightaways |
|
44 | — | — | — |
|
| Wide Swing Tremolo |
|
93 | — | — | — | |
| Okemah and the Melody of Riot |
|
89 | — | — | — | |
| The Search |
|
81 | — | 6 | — | |
| American Central Dust |
|
44 | — | — | 12 |
|
| Honky Tonk |
|
67 | — | — | 16 | |
| Notes of Blue |
|
91 | — | 4 | 10 | |
| Union |
|
— | — | 6 | — | |
| Electro Melodier |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Day of the Doug |
|
— | — | — | — | |
Live recordings
- Live at the Orange Peel (2020), Transmit Sound
Compilation albums
- A Retrospective: 1995-2000 (2005), Warner Bros. Records/Rhino
Selected singles
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US AAA |
US Heritage |
US Mainstream |
US Mod. | CAN Alt. | |||
| "Windfall" | 1995 | — | — | — | — | — | Trace |
| "Drown" | 15 | — | 10 | 25 | — | ||
| "Loose String" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Route" | 1996 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Back Into Your World" | 1997 | — | — | — | — | — | Straightaways |
| "Picking Up the Signal" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Caryatid Easy" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Driving the View" | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | Wide Swing Tremolo |
| "Straightface" | 28 |— |— |8 | ||||||
| "Joe Citizen Blues/Jet Pilot" | 2005 | — | — | — | — | — | Okemah and the Melody of Riot |
| "The Picture" | 2007 | 30 | — | — | — | — | The Search |
| "Down to the Wire" | 2009 | — | — | — | — | — | American Central Dust |
| "Hearts and Minds" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | Honky Tonk |
| "Back Against the Wall" | 2017 | 24 | — | — | — | — | Notes of Blue |
| "The 99" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | Union |
| "The Reason" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Globe" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | Electro Melodier |
| "Reverie" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Livin' in the USA" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Video releases
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Drown" | Steven Goldmann |
External links
- Articles with short description
- American country rock groups
- American alternative country groups
- American alternative rock groups
- Musical groups established in 1994
- Musical groups disbanded in 2001
- Musical groups reformed in 2004
- Musical groups from St. Louis
- Warner Records artists
- Rounder Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 2001