The Wallflowers

The Wallflowers emerged as a band straddling the line between earthy alternative rock and the broad, stadium-ready style of artists such as Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, with guitarist, songwriter, and singer Jakob Dylan at its center. Though first recognized chiefly as the offspring of legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, Jakob demonstrated an independent musical identity and creative direction, guiding the group through repeated lineup shifts while preserving its core character. Their commercial arrival came via the 1996 sophomore release Bringing Down the Horse, which achieved multi-platinum status, followed by Rebel, Sweetheart in 2005, which infused additional power into their approach, and the assured 2021 return Exit Wounds, issued after a nine-year recording absence.

Jakob Dylan entered the world in 1970 and grew up in Los Angeles under the care of his mother, Sara Lowndes, once his parents separated in 1977. After attending private academies in both Los Angeles and New York, he chose to pursue music in the late 1980s. He assembled the Wallflowers alongside guitarist Tobi Miller, keyboardist Rami Jaffee, bassist Barrie Maguire, and drummer Peter Yanowitz before securing a deal with Virgin. The band’s self-titled debut appeared in August 1992, met with weak sales that prompted Virgin to release them. Jakob promptly rebuilt the lineup, retaining only Jaffee and adding guitarist Michael Ward, bassist Greg Richling, and drummer Mario Calire. The refreshed group signed with Interscope and cut their next album under producer T-Bone Burnett, a longtime associate of the Dylan family. Bringing Down the Horse arrived in May 1996 and yielded the alternative-radio success “6th Avenue Heartache.” By late 1996 “One Headlight” entered rotation, climbing to the Top Ten by spring 1997 and elevating the album’s chart placement.

Bringing Down the Horse sustained strong sales through 1997 on the strength of “6th Avenue Heartache,” “One Headlight,” and a third single, “The Difference.” In early 1998 “One Headlight” earned Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. Following this peak, the Wallflowers observed a deliberate four-year recording pause. Fresh material surfaced with the October 2000 release Breach, which drew limited attention and led to the more radio-oriented Red Letter Days the next year. Rebel, Sweetheart followed in 2005, reaching number 40 on the Billboard charts; the band opted against extensive touring behind it. After parting ways with Interscope in 2006, the group performed without keyboardist Jaffee, who exited the following year, marking a gradual slowdown in activity. Jakob issued his solo debut Seeing Things in 2008, yet the Wallflowers remained intermittently active, issuing the 2009 compilation Collected: 1996–2005 and touring in support. Another solo set, Women + Country, appeared in 2010. Early in 2012 Jakob announced the Wallflowers’ return with a refreshed roster that welcomed back Jaffee alongside bassist Greg Richling, guitarist Stuart Mathis—who had joined after Jaffee’s 2007 departure—and drummer Jack Irons, formerly of Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This configuration delivered Glad All Over in fall 2012.

Thereafter the band maintained periodic touring with rotating supporting players while Jakob explored filmmaking as executive producer of the documentary Echo in the Canyon, in which he also conducted interviews with figures such as Brian Wilson and Roger McGuinn and recorded thirteen 1960s folk-rock classics for the accompanying soundtrack. After leaving Columbia, the label behind Glad All Over, Jakob self-funded a new Wallflowers project and recorded with producer and multi-instrumentalist Butch Walker plus session musicians. Exit Wounds surfaced in July 2021 via New West Records, featuring guest vocals from Shelby Lynne on one track.