The Farewell Drifters originated with a vision of fusing bluegrass drive and instrumentation to the polished studio pop associated with the Beach Boys, and the ensemble has largely realized that aim. Their placement falls near the neo-folk-rock territory occupied by Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons, and the Avett Brothers, yet the bluegrass component remains intact. The project began after lead singer Zach Bevill and mandolinist Joshua Britt recognized a shared affinity for '60s pop and started composing and playing together. Following their relocation to Nashville, they completed the lineup by adding Joshua's brother Clayton Britt, violinist Christian Sedelmyer, and bassist Dean Marold. The resulting style stays acceptable on a bluegrass stage while favoring melodic and lyrical constructions drawn from classic pop songcraft. Yellow Tag Mondays appeared in 2010 and Echo Boom followed in 2011, both issued by Heart Squeeze Records. The band later moved to Compass Records for the 2014 release Tomorrow Forever.
