Although Drivin' n' Cryin' never matched the conventional mold associated with Southern rock acts, their output always displayed the varied layers of their Georgia background in clear view. The group fused hard rock's expansive guitars and powerful drumming with alternative rock's ringing tones, the spare acoustic textures and enduring atmosphere of country and folk, and frontman Kevn Kinney's direct yet thoughtful songwriting. Early releases such as 1987's Whisper Tames the Lion and 1989's Mystery Road helped establish a dedicated audience through their energetic yet grounded approach, while 1991's Fly Me Courageous sharpened the hard rock elements and brought modest national attention. Corporate difficulties hampered progress throughout the 1990s, yet after a period of reduced visibility the band resurfaced in 2009 with the cohesive The Great American Bubble Factory and has maintained an active schedule of performances and recordings ever since.
The Atlanta-based outfit originated in 1985 when vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Kevn Kinney, newly arrived from Milwaukee, crossed paths with bassist Tim Nielsen, formerly of the local group the Night Porters. Drawn to Kinney's material, Nielsen and Night Porters drummer Paul Lenz formed the new project and took the name Drivin' n' Cryin' from one of Kinney's compositions. They soon became fixtures at Atlanta's 688 Club, prompting the venue's proprietors to create 688 Records and issue the band's debut, 1986's Scarred But Smarter. College radio embraced the record, leading Island Records to sign the group and re-release the album.
Prior to sessions for the follow-up, Paul Lenz departed and Jeff Sullivan assumed drumming duties; Sullivan had previously performed with Mr. Crowe's Garden, later known as the Black Crowes. The band traveled to New York City to track 1988's Whisper Tames the Lion under producer Anton Fier, who augmented the sound with additional session players. College radio again responded favorably, yet Island delayed further commitment until Peter Buck of R.E.M., a supporter, offered the band an opening slot on the Green tour. The label requested fresh material for the trek, resulting in the rapid completion of 1989's Mystery Road, which featured the enduring tracks "Straight to Hell" and "Honeysuckle Blue" and introduced guitarist Buren Fowler, R.E.M.'s guitar technician. Strong regional success in Georgia followed, but in 1990 Kinney channeled his folk and country leanings into the solo debut MacDougal Blues, produced by Peter Buck and supported by an acoustic tour together. Drivin' n' Cryin' then delivered 1991's Fly Me Courageous, emphasizing the harder-edged side of their style. The album garnered broader commercial airplay, and MTV rotated videos for "Build a Fire" and the title track.
Fly Me Courageous earned the band's first gold certification, prompting a continuation of the harder direction on 1993's Smoke. Although "Turn It Up or Turn It Off" and the title song charted on the modern rock lists, overall sales and critical response fell short of the prior release. After Island's sale to Polygram Label Group, mutual dissatisfaction led to a split; the band signed with Geffen Records in 1994. Their Geffen debut, 1995's Wrapped in Sky, adopted a quieter tone once Fowler exited and keyboardist Joey Huffman joined. Geffen's promotional efforts proved minimal, and the group departed the label by year's end. Huffman also left, leaving the Kinney/Nielsen/Sullivan core to record a self-titled 1997 album for Ichiban, produced by Kosmo Vinyl. Occasional shows continued, documented on the 1999 concert release The Essential Live Drivin' n' Cryin', which again featured Huffman alongside guitarist David Franklin.
Following several years of inactivity, Kinney recruited Nielsen for his 2001 solo effort Broken Hearts and Auto Parts, joined by guitarist Mac Carter and drummer Dave V. Johnson. The chemistry prompted plans for a new Drivin' n' Cryin' project; although the full album remained unfinished, the EP Detroit City Rock appeared in 2002 and the revised lineup resumed regular performances. Kinney underwent vocal cord surgery in 2007 after nodes were identified, recovered promptly, and began preparing another band album. The Great American Bubble Factory arrived in 2009, spurring more live dates than the group had undertaken in a decade. Mac Carter exited in 2011, replaced by lead guitarist Sadler Vaden. Rather than a single LP, the band issued four EPs: 2012's Songs from the Laundromat, 2012's Songs About Cars, Space, and the Ramones, 2013's Songs for the Turntable, and 2013's Songs from the Psychedelic Time Clock. The documentary Scarred But Smarter: Life n' Times of Drivin' n' Cryin' premiered in 2012, and the group entered the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2018 New West Records issued a remastered edition of the 1997 Ichiban album under the new title Too Late to Turn Back Now. The harder rock facet returned to prominence on 2019's Live the Love Beautiful, produced by Aaron Lee Tasjan, who had earlier performed guitar with the band. The lineup at that point included guitarist Laur Joamets alongside Kinney, Nielsen, and Johnson.
