The origins of country outfit the Lost Trailers trace back to guitarist and songwriter Stokes Nielson teaming with his Atlanta high-school acquaintance Ryder Lee, who handled keyboards and vocals, for the independent release The Story of the New Age Cowboy. Building on that foundation, Nielson brought the material to Nashville clubs, performing alongside Lee plus a drummer and bassist under the moniker Stokes Nielson & the Lost Trailers, a name inspired by their tour trailer being stolen on multiple occasions—twice before the core group solidified and once afterward. While serving as a DJ at a Nashville radio station in 2000, Nielson interviewed Willie Nelson and seized the moment to hand over a demo of the band’s work. Impressed by the recordings, the country icon extended an invitation for the group to appear at his annual Fourth of July picnic in Texas. Nielson and Lee took the stage with additional recruits Andrew Nielson on bass, Jeff Potter on drums, and Manny Medina on rhythm guitar, rounding out the five-piece lineup. The expanded ensemble soon logged more than two hundred gigs annually, and 2004 saw the arrival of their first album, Welcome to the Woods. After catching one of their concerts in Fort Worth, TX, producer Blake Chancey—known for his work with the Dixie Chicks and David Allan Coe—offered his services for the follow-up project. In spring 2005 the band convened with Chancey in Nashville to lay down tracks, leading to a BNA Records contract by autumn and the 2006 release of their self-titled, Chancey-produced album.
