Boxcar Chief - Vagabond (2014)

Lead guitarist, lyricist and frontman Brian Gaines (formerly of The Natural Fact, Mandrex Jones, and Almost Criminals) leads his band through a seventies era and Southern rock-jam sound. Scott Anderson’s (Chuck Richards, Hoyny) no nonsense bass lines and Sean Rhead’s (Sourgrass, Hoyny) experimental drum patterns have near perfect synchronicity from their years of playing together in the band Hoyny. David Berry Jr. (The Human Condition, Low Frequency Shaman) supports their musical themes on guitar, giving their tunes space with his jazzy jam-band style. Boxcar Chief is all about doing what comes naturally, creating an Americana, summer-all-year feel, perfect for their subtle psychedelic rock and slightly bluesy style. They’re about making music for anyone willing to listen, to cut loose, to escape for an hour or two.

It’s that kind of life and that kind of music. Despite only formally coming together in the summer of 2013, they’ve got the musical experience to bring the listener to that place, where its the music that matters. Brian and Scott, friends since high school, got together with Sean to jam, to experiment with a their collective sound. Their first jam session created a sound Brian calls “real organic” but they wanted to find another guitar player to push back against his heavy slide riffs. They found Dave, who recently returned to San Diego, and from their first conversation and their first practice the band mates knew that they were all coming from the same place. Brain contends that “everyone wanted to be on the same musical journey.” With a solid rock history as their guide (they credit The Rolling Stones, Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin as influences), it’s sure to be a journey fans will want to join.