The Steeldrivers

The SteelDrivers emerged in 2005 with a distinctive fusion often termed bluegrass soul, establishing themselves among the leading acts in progressive bluegrass. Their music preserved a core traditional foundation while delivering performances charged with intensity and an added layer of gritty force that evoked blues, soul, and rock textures. The 2010 album Reckless stood out for its polished execution and featured Chris Stapleton on lead vocals and guitar, whereas 2015 brought the Grammy-winning The Muscle Shoals Recordings, which introduced Gary Nichols as the new lead singer, and 2023 saw the release of Tougher Than Nails, a gospel-focused project that revisited vintage gospel roots.

The group originated when several seasoned Nashville session musicians decided to form their own ensemble. Its original members were Richard Bailey on banjo, Mike Fleming on bass, Mike Henderson on mandolin, Tammy Rogers on fiddle, and Chris Stapleton on guitar and lead vocals. Stapleton’s hoarse, blues-tinged vocal style, which recalled Tom Waits, differentiated the SteelDrivers from the prevailing high-lonesome tenor approach common in contemporary bluegrass, imparting an aged, roots-oriented character. The band soon became a regular presence on the bluegrass festival circuit and issued its self-titled debut, containing only original material, on Rounder Records in early 2008, with the follow-up Reckless appearing on the same label in 2010.

Major personnel changes occurred before the next recording, as Stapleton and Henderson both departed, the former pursuing a Grammy-winning solo career in country music and the latter serving as a frequent songwriting collaborator on his major hits before his death on September 22, 2023. Gary Nichols and Brent Truitt filled the vacancies, and the resulting 2013 album Hammer Down reflected a noticeable shift in approach, though Nichols integrated successfully and sustained the band’s momentum. The SteelDrivers further emphasized their soulful leanings on 2015’s The Muscle Shoals Recordings, captured in the Alabama city famous for landmark R&B sessions of the 1960s and 1970s; the set included Jason Isbell on two tracks and earned a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.

A further vocal transition took place in 2017 after Gary Nichols exited, leading the band to enlist Kelvin Damrell, a singer primarily associated with rock & roll, whose addition was suggested after Tammy Rogers encountered an online video of him performing a Chris Stapleton song. Damrell integrated well, and the first full-length release with him on vocals, Bad for You, appeared in February 2020. His time with the group proved brief, ending in July 2021 when Matt Dame assumed the vocal and guitar role. In 2023 the SteelDrivers issued their initial gospel album, Tougher Than Nails, through Gaither Music Group; it contained six original compositions from the band along with five renditions of classic bluegrass gospel songs.