Flynnville Train

Muncie, Indiana, hardly registers as a cradle of gritty honky-tonk sounds, yet the country-rock outfit Flynnville Train aims to alter that perception through a gritty blend of blues-rooted rock and outlaw-country attitude delivered with unfiltered barroom bravado. Brothers Brian Flynn, who handles lead vocals, and Brent Flynn, who plays lead guitar, launched the group in 2001. They logged multiple years performing in Midwest clubs before attracting the attention of Kentucky Headhunters guitarist Richard Young, who produced an independent album for the band. Impressed by the results, Young forwarded the recording to the agency responsible for the Headhunters’ booking and management; the project eventually reached another client on that roster, Toby Keith. After witnessing Flynnville Train perform live, Keith signed them to his Show Dog Nashville imprint, which issued their self-titled debut in autumn 2007. Following extensive touring, the band entered the studio with producer David Barrick—described by the group as its “silent fifth member”—to cut the follow-up album Redemption, issued on the Next Evolution label in 2010.