The Jayhawks

Rooted in the Minneapolis, Minnesota scene since the mid-1980s, The Jayhawks coalesced around the duo of Gary Louris and Mark Olson, later joined by Marc Perlman and then Karen Grotberg and Tim O'Reagan in the lineup associated with their 1990s period. Their repertoire blends alternative country, country rock, roots rock and folk rock, featuring prominent vocal harmonies and songs that alternate between stripped-down acoustic arrangements and denser productions. After The Jayhawks (1986) and Blue Earth (1989), they reached wider visibility with Hollywood Town Hall (1992) and Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995). Olson's departure at the end of 1995 refocused the band around Gary Louris, and The Jayhawks evolved their sound on Sound of Lies (1997) and Smile (2000), before adopting a more restrained, acoustic approach on Rainy Day Music (2003). Following a hiatus, the Louris–Olson formation reunited for Mockingbird Time (2011), and The Jayhawks continued with the core of Louris, Perlman, Grotberg and O'Reagan on Paging Mr. Proust (2016), Back Roads and Abandoned Motels (2018) and XOXO (2020), an album in which songwriting and vocals are shared among several members. The Jayhawks also backed Ray Davies on Americana (2017) and Our Country – Americana Act II (2018).