Over the past few years Railroad Earth has carved a path wide and deep throughout the American roots music scene. From their first gigs in May 2001, to their most recent shows for their legions of loyal fans, Railroad Earth has been an undeniable force whose superb songwriting, singing and performances from the stage have made them one of the most talked about bands to arrive in years.
It could be said that Railroad Earth hit the scene with their wheels already rolling. Just three weeks after jamming together for the first time, the six band members went into a local recording studio and laid down 5 live tracks with no overdubs except backing vocals. It was that remarkable demo that set everything in motion. Within a week they had a manager on board and, on the strength of their demo alone, they landed a slot on the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. That was their tenth gig!
They returned to the studio a month later to record another five songs and released those ten demo tracks as their debut album. "The Black Bear Sessions" came out in June 2001 to rave reviews nationally. Following their triumphant appearance at Telluride 2001, Sugar Hill Records approached the band on the spot to offer a record deal.
One year later, in June 2002, Railroad Earth's second album, "Bird in a House" came out on Sugar Hill Records. After a year of steady touring and strong sales of the debut album, the anticipation was high for "Bird in a House," and the album lived up to it, receiving rave reviews from the press and their fans, and showing strong sales throughout the U.S. and Europe. "The Good Life" followed in 2004 and solified the band's standing as a national touring and sales force.
With over 400 shows and tens of thousands of road miles behind them, Railroad Earth has become a staple on the national touring and festival scene, and built a huge following of loyal fans that document and trade every note they play, and often join them on the road for multiple nights. These fans call themselves "Hobos," and the band considers them to be the fuel that keeps this engine chugging along.