Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show
Name	Old Crow Medicine Show
Origin	Kingsport, Tennessee, United States
Genres	Folk, Bluegrass, Americana
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Nettwerk, Columbia, ATO Records
Associated acts	The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings, Punch Brothers

Old Crow Medicine Show is an American string band formed in the late 1990s that helped revive traditional old-time music and string band traditions in contemporary roots scenes. The group blended folk music and bluegrass music with busking energy from the Northeast United States to major festival stages, influencing revival movements and collaborative projects across Americana music. Over decades they recorded for independent and major labels, won prestigious awards, and toured internationally with a rotating lineup of multi-instrumentalists.

History

Formed by buskers who met on a 1998 cross-country journey, the band emerged from connections with Nashville, Tennessee, Austin, Texas, Appalachia, Knoxville, Tennessee and the Hudson Valley. Early champions included Ketch Secor and Chris "Critter" Fuqua, who linked to the Old-Time Music Scene through encounters with Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, Roscoe Holcomb, Dock Boggs and members of The Carter Family tradition. A breakthrough came after association with Gillan Welch and David Rawlings during the early 2000s, and later with production and distribution support from labels such as Nettwerk and Columbia Records. The band recorded breakout albums that placed them on bills with Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Mavis Staples. Throughout lineup changes the ensemble maintained ties to festivals like Newport Folk Festival, MerleFest, Woodstock Festival USA and Cambridge Folk Festival while sharing stages with Old Crow Medicine Show contemporaries such as Punch Brothers, The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes and The Lumineers.

Musical Style and Influences

Their sound draws on a lineage including Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, The Carter Family, Bob Wills, Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Hank Williams. Instrumentation features fiddles, banjos, guitars, harmonicas and upright bass that echo recordings from Smithsonian Folkways archives and Library of Congress field collections of Appalachian musicians. Songcraft frequently nods to narrative traditions found in balladry like The Wobblys and protest songs associated with Joe Hill and Woody Guthrie while adopting the high-energy delivery of punk-influenced roots acts such as The Pogues and The Clash collaborators. Arrangements incorporate both two-part harmony reminiscent of The Louvin Brothers and three-part textures heard in recordings by The Stanley Brothers and The Delmore Brothers.

Band Members and Lineups

Key founding and long-term members include Ketch Secor (lead vocals, fiddle, harmonica), Chris "Critter" Fuqua (guitar, banjo), and others who joined or rotated through roles: Willie Watson (guitar, vocals), Kevin Hayes (guitar, vocals), Morgan Jahnig (upright bass), Cody Dickinson (guest collaborator), Joe Andrews (multi-instrumentalist), Chance McCoy (multi-instrumentalist), Ben Nichols (guest), T. Michael Coleman (touring), and more. Touring and studio lineups overlapped with musicians from The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Jay Farrar projects, and members who later formed or worked with The Avett Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, Yonder Mountain String Band and Old-Time Revival ensembles. Collaborations extended to session players associated with Nashville session musicians, producers from Los Angeles, California and engineers who worked on records by Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle.

Discography

Studio albums include early self-released recordings, landmark releases on Nettwerk and Columbia Records, and later albums on ATO Records. Notable albums include their self-titled breakthrough, a renowned live album capturing festival sets, and subsequent charting records recognized by Billboard and roots charts. Singles and EPs have been released alongside contributions to tribute compilations for artists like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Hank Williams. They have appeared on compilation albums curated by Smithsonian Folkways-adjacent projects and contributed to soundtracks and television placements alongside works by Jack White, T Bone Burnett, Annie Leibovitz–associated projects, and other producers connected to Nashville and Los Angeles recording scenes.

Awards and Recognition

The band won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album and received nominations across categories including Best Americana Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. They have been honored at ceremonies such as the Americana Awards, IBMA Awards (International Bluegrass Music Association), and received recognition from institutions like the National Endowment for the Arts through festival grants and fellowship-linked programming. Their songs have been cited in year-end lists by Rolling Stone, NPR Music, BBC Radio 2 and Paste Magazine, and they have been profiled in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Billboard Magazine and Pitchfork.

Touring and Live Performances

The group built a reputation as relentless road performers, busking and playing at venues and events from street corners in New York City to headline slots at Ryman Auditorium, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Royal Albert Hall (guest appearances), and outdoor stages at Glastonbury Festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza, Stagecoach Festival and ACL Festival. They have toured with Bob Dylan, supported Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris, and participated in curated tours with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, as well as benefit concerts for causes linked to Appalachian coalfield relief and cultural heritage organizations. Live recordings and broadcasts on BBC Radio 2, NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, televised performances on Austin City Limits and late-night appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live! expanded their audience across Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan.

Category:American folk music groups Category:Bluegrass ensembles