Have you experienced a Turnpike Troubadours show before? They promise an entertaining show!
Evan Felker stands as one of the most prolific songwriters and prolific performers within independent and red dirt country music scenes today; yet, at times he’s struggled.
Frontman Evan Felker
Turnpike Troubadours were dominating country music‘s circuit at that time, opening marquee tours and amassing millions of streams on Spotify – but their band leader nearly collapsed under pressure. He and Staci were expecting their first child; working cattle on a ranch; writing songs pushing beyond their signature red Dirt country sound; all at the same time!
In 2020, he checked himself into rehab and began rebuilding his life on the other side. He remarried, sobered up, found structure–including realizing that turning to whiskey wasn’t an option–and resumed recording A Cat in the Rain with his bandmates under Shooter Jennings (son of outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings). Shooter helped guide them back into studio recording.
Bassist R.C. Edwards
The band‘s self-titled 2015 album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart and 2017’s A Long Way From Your Heart reached #1 on country albums chart. Subsequently, things became somewhat disjointed; Felker left to form his own project RC and the Ambers while other members took time off for themselves; eventually Felker established the.38s and started performing acoustic sets between arena shows of Turnpike Troubadours as part of off days between arena shows; later still,
Producer Shooter Jennings doesn’t shy away from using the Troubadours’ secondary vocalists on “Brought Me.” Kyle Nix and Gabe Pearson provide an earthy texture while Hank Early’s accordion adds another distinctive note – creating an honest narrative of everyday blue-collar life that jumps off of each song’s surface.
Lead guitarist Ryan Engelman
Ryan Engelman is a revered musician in both Red Dirt and Texas music scenes, having gained great renown for his ability to blend rock-edged melodies with country roots, becoming an integral component of Turnpike Troubadours sound and touring success as well as adept crowd interaction skills.
He and Felker are masters at conjuring emotions through their songs. From “Every Girl” to the heartache of “Good Lord Lorrie,” their songs elicit emotions in everyone. Not afraid to push the limits or explore new territory, their music has won them an avid following across festivals, amphitheaters and arenas alike over the past year.
Fiddle player Kyle Nix
The Turnpike Troubadours are more than a band. Their music demonstrates their strong bond between frontman Evan Felker, fiddle player Kyle Nix, steel guitarist Hank Early, bassist RC Edwards, guitarist Ryan Engleman and drummer Gabe Pearson that shines through each note they play together.
Nix launched his solo project with Lightning on the Mountain and Other Short Stories in 2020, drawing upon elements from The 38’s sound as well as creating his own distinct identity and sound on that record.
Nix lets the 38’s musicians shine, giving singer-songwriter Ken Pomeroy and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Foster opportunities to show off their musical prowess on tracks such as Felker’s divorce and subsequent rehab stint as well as other personal struggles such as rehab stints. All this led up to an album which is full of feelings while boasting incredible musicality from them both.
Drummer Gabe Pearson
The band released its sixth studio album since 2015 with this gritty country-rock offering. Its success and the mythology that has developed since Felker left in 2019 stands as proof of their longevity as an act.
Turnpike Troubadours were an instantaneous draw when they left rural Oklahoma and Texas bars behind to play arenas and festivals with high demand for tickets that crashed venue websites; their music proved just as appealing, even without reaching Taylor Swift levels of popularity.
But their journey was long. Felker had no plans of returning, while R.C. Edwards, lead guitarist Ryan Engleman, fiddle player Kyle Nix and drummer Gabe Pearson continued playing music through side projects.
