TR3

Virtuoso guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Tim Reynolds</a> formed the first incarnation of TR3 in 1984, playing a wild hybrid of psychedelicized rock, funk, and prog. The trio featured a constantly revolving cast of musicians other than its guitarist and frontman, whose biggest claims to fame were with his collaborations with <a href="spotify:artist:2TI7qyDE0QfyOlnbtfDo7L">the Dave Matthews Band</a> as well as his solo acoustic and duo shows with <a href="spotify:artist:13vQloYd6mP7V1mVwKJwS2">Matthews</a> himself. As a result, TR3 were always in the background, but though they didn't record, their own touring helped <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Reynolds</a> to further his non-acoustic musical vision.

After moving to North Carolina's Outer Banks in the middle aughts, <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Reynolds</a> met bassist Mick Vaughn and drummer Dan Martier. Playing and touring together, they eventually gelled into the most visible -- and constant -- incarnation of TR3. Their mix of <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Reynolds</a>' quirky originals and unusual versions of cover songs by <a href="spotify:artist:7GaxyUddsPok8BuhxN6OUW">James Brown</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:36QJpDe2go2KgaRleHCDTp">Led Zeppelin</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7M1FPw29m5FbicYzS2xdpi">King Crimson</a>, and others added breadth and depth to their stage shows.

After nearly two years of playing shows and rehearsing when <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Reynolds</a> wasn't off on his own or working with <a href="spotify:artist:13vQloYd6mP7V1mVwKJwS2">Matthews</a>, Radiance, TR3's debut full-length, appeared in March of 2009. Though <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Reynolds</a> undertook another acoustic duo tour with <a href="spotify:artist:13vQloYd6mP7V1mVwKJwS2">Matthews</a> that year, TR3 began touring almost nonstop in 2010, recording every show. A double-length concert set, From Space and Beyond, appeared in June of 2011. It resulted in even more road time. For his part, <a href="spotify:artist:7rvkQK7ZqO34sKsWEXjz3R">Reynolds</a> took almost no time off, playing solo shows and duos with <a href="spotify:artist:13vQloYd6mP7V1mVwKJwS2">Matthews</a> in between runs.

In early 2014, TR3 signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ATO+Records%22">ATO Records</a>, and in August the pre-release single "All Over the Place" appeared. The sophomore studio full-length Like Some Kind of Alien Invasion appeared in October of that year. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi