Jeff Austin

Jeff Austin served as the mandolinist and primary vocalist for Yonder Mountain String Band, establishing himself as a key voice in the neo-progressive bluegrass movement that emerged at the turn of the millennium. Following a fifteen-year tenure, he departed the ensemble in spring 2014 amid creative and personal shifts, then committed to an independent path that formally commenced with the February 2015 appearance of his debut solo album, Simple Truth.

Born in Arlington Heights and raised in Elk Grove within the Chicago suburbs, Austin first took up music while on hiatus from the University of Cincinnati. He relocated temporarily to Urbana, Illinois, where he encountered Dave Johnston, the banjoist from Bluegrassholes. Johnston persuaded him to take up the mandolin and contribute vocals, though that ensemble proved short-lived. Austin subsequently settled in Nederland, Colorado, where he, Johnston, Ben Kaufmann, and Adam Aijala formed Yonder Mountain String Band.

The group’s progressive approach aligned closely with the contemporary jam-band circuit, a connection made evident by their 1999 debut recording, Elevation. Throughout the following decade the quartet maintained an intensive schedule of touring and studio work. During this period Austin also collaborated with other players, notably on the 2004 side project Songs from the Tin Shed alongside Chris Castino. The band’s growing audience eventually supported its own annual event, Yonder Mountain’s Harvest Festival, inaugurated in 2010 after the release of The Show, Austin’s final album with the group.

Anticipating the January 2014 arrival of his first child, Austin concluded that family priorities outweighed continued band commitments. He exited amicably that April and promptly began work on his initial solo project. The resulting record, Simple Truth, appeared on Yep Roc Records in February 2015.