Railroad Earth came together in January 2001 in rural western New Jersey. There was hardly time for the band members to get to know each other before things started happening for them. After just three weeks of rehearsals, they went into a local recording studio and tracked a five song demo. Recorded live with no overdubs except backing vocals, “The Black Bear Sessions,” as the band referred to them, turned heads from day one. Even before they’d played their first gig, Railroad Earth was booked to perform on the stages of some of the country’s most prestigious festivals and venues. Within weeks, record companies were calling, endorsement deals were struck and a nationwide tour was in place. But it was the intense reaction from their new fans that really brought things to the next level. By the time Railroad Earth played their first few shows at the beginning of May, the five “Black Bear Sessions” tracks had turned up on a number of download sites set up by enthusiastic new fans intent on spreading the word about the band. The songs turned up next on Napster, and within a few weeks hundreds of people were trading music files of the demos and hunting down live versions of songs recorded during one of their small handful of live performances. To make it easier for people to find their songs online, Railroad Earth allowed a friend to set up an official download site for some of their songs. In the first two weeks alone there were over 2500 downloads.

The players in Railroad Earth are no newcomers to the scene. Todd Sheaffer was the songwriter and voice for RCA Records’ From Good Homes, whose huge nationwide following allowed them to tour the US for nearly a decade. Tim Carbone and Andy Goessling were founding members of underground favorites The Blue Sparks from Hell, who toured the Eastern Seaboard for years to packed houses. John Skehan toured the US as a sideman, playing guitar, mandolin and piano for a number of notable recording artists. Carey Harmon’s wailing tenor vocals and rock solid drumming made him a favorite session guy among tri-state bands. Originally from the Bay Area, Dave Von Dollen began playing upright bass with local jazz musicians when he was just 16. He joined the band right out of the New School in New York, where he was studying jazz.

While the musicianship is clearly there, Railroad Earth considers it’s greatest asset to be the natural musical synergy between its members. It took only one rehearsal for the band to realize what they’d hit upon; and after that session, they devoted themselves full time to getting ready to hit the road. Combining bluegrass, rock, jazz, celtic and more, with the soaring improvisational spirit of a jam-band, and Todd Sheaffer’s rootsy and instantly singable songs, Railroad Earth has created a sound that is refreshingly original. At any given show the band will launch through a stellar musical journey into uncharted territory, twisting and turning over sonic landscapes with strangely familiar themes; then finding their way back to the Earth, where the melody has a sing-a-long vibe that makes you want to throw up your hands and shout out the words along with the band!! That is the true magic of Railroad Earth.

After recording an additional five tracks to complete a full length album, Railroad Earth released “The Black Bear Sessions” in mid-June 2001 to rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Online and venue sales of the release have been huge, and the band has just signed a record deal with powerhouse label Sugar Hill records for the next album (to be released June, 2002). The bookings for 2002 have been flooding in, including main stage performances at Telluride, Merlefest, High Sierra, and more! So be sure to tell all your friends, family, foes, and fellow music lovers that Railroad Earth is rolling into your town soon!!