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Turnpike Troubadours

Data updated on 2024-12-12 07:32:55 UTC
At their best, the gritty, country-leaning roots rock band out of eastern Oklahoma, Turnpike Troubadours, synthesize the populist, political folk of Woody Guthrie and the outlaw-styled honky tonk of Waylon Jennings with doses of bluegrass, Cajun, and straight-out rock dynamics. The band's grassroots following grew to arena-filling popularity as their plaintive melodies and hard truths of their songs connected on country radio, and 2012's Goodbye Normal Street became their breakthrough release, placing high on both the country and rock charts. After a hiatus brought on by alcohol and the pressures of fame, the Turnpike Troubadours came back stronger and healthier on 2023's A Cat in the Rain.

The Turnpike Troubadours were formed by lead singer and guitarist Evan Felker and bassist R.C. Edwards. By 2007, they were gigging regularly, and they recorded and self-released their debut album, Bossier City, so they could have a CD to sell at their shows. (It appeared on their own Bossier City imprint, which would release their subsequent projects, with Thirty Tigers later taking on distribution of their catalog.) The rest of the lineup featured guitarist Casey Sliger, multi-instrumentalist John Fullbright, and drummer Chad Masters. The group wasn't entirely happy with the results, and put more time and effort into 2009's Diamonds & Gasoline, which better captures their sound, exploring modern rural life with a full awareness of history and delicately avoiding being ornate revivalists. Produced by Mike McClure and mixed by Joe Hardy, Diamonds & Gasoline saw guitarist Roger Ray joining the group after the departure of Casey Sliger. By the time they returned to the studio to cut 2012's Goodbye Normal Street, Felker and Edwards had been joined by guitarist Ryan Engleman, fiddler Kyle Nix, and Gabriel Pearson on the drums. As near-constant touring and greater airplay and streaming exposure spread word about the Turnpike Troubadours, Goodbye Normal Street was the group's first major success, making the country (number 14), folk (number three), and rock (number 23) charts after its release. Three years later, they released their fourth album, The Turnpike Troubadours, and watched it debut at number three on the country chart, a sign that the band's fan base was overlapping with the mainstream. The set included a guest spot from celebrated bluegrass fiddler Byron Berline and studio support from John Fullbright.

The Troubadours had expanded to a sextet by the time they recorded 2017's A Long Way from Your Heart, with the addition of Hank Early on pedal steel, dobro, and keyboards. Once again, the album peaked at number three on the country charts, and the band left theater gigs behind in favor of playing arenas and amphitheaters. They became one of the biggest draws on the Americana circuit, sharing the bill with Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town on the popular Bandwagon package tour. The band's journey came to a halt in 2019 when the Turnpike Troubadours went on what they called an "indefinite hiatus." Evan Felker had developed a serious drinking problem that led him to consider quitting music, and as he bowed out of the group, Ryan Engleman became a touring guitarist for Reckless Kelly, Kyle Nix launched a new band called the .38s, R.C. Edwards cut an album with his side project RC & the Ambers, and Gabriel Pearson divided his time between playing drums with the .38s and taking college classes. After a successful stint in rehab, Felker was sober, healthy, and ready to return to music, and his bandmates agreed to a less rigorous touring schedule and to keep alcohol off the stage in order to support their friend. After a handful of well-received live dates, the Turnpike Troubadours engaged Shooter Jennings to produce a comeback album, and A Cat in the Rain was released in August 2023. ~ Steve Leggett & Mark Deming, Rovi

Genres

: red dirt

Total plays

810.5 million
Updated on 2024-12-12

Country

United States

Monthly listeners

1,445,516

Followers

555,157

Top Cities

  1. United States
    79,669 listeners
  2. United States
    57,259 listeners
  3. United States
    47,573 listeners
  4. United States
    48,075 listeners
  5. United States
    41,185 listeners

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Most popular tracks

Track Plays Duration Release date
Long Hot Summer Day
Long Hot Summer Day
82,434,677 4:12 2010-08-31
7 & 7
7 & 7
74,727,839 4:50 2010-08-31
Good Lord Lorrie
Good Lord Lorrie
64,833,253 5:01 2012-05-08
Diamonds & Gasoline
Diamonds & Gasoline
60,427,152 3:54 2010-08-31
Every Girl
Every Girl
41,780,807 3:46 2010-08-31
Gin, Smoke, Lies
Gin, Smoke, Lies
36,176,457 4:38 2012-05-08
Pay No Rent
Pay No Rent
36,134,267 4:02 2017-10-20
Whole Damn Town
Whole Damn Town
31,323,811 3:24 2010-08-31
Unrung
Unrung
28,756,281 3:08 2017-10-20
The Housefire
The Housefire
24,860,893 3:40 2017-08-25
A Tornado Warning
A Tornado Warning
22,450,679 3:43 2017-10-20
The Bird Hunters
The Bird Hunters
19,426,898 5:12 2015-08-28
Before The Devil Knows We're Dead
Before The Devil Knows We're Dead
17,789,998 3:54 2012-05-08
Down Here
Down Here
16,853,067 3:12 2015-07-10
Wrecked
Wrecked
14,840,044 4:59 2012-05-08
1968
1968
14,016,813 4:18 2010-08-31
Mean Old Sun
Mean Old Sun
13,722,512 4:09 2023-05-05
The Mercury
The Mercury
12,803,816 3:43 2015-08-07
Old Time Feeling (Like Before)
Old Time Feeling (Like Before)
11,497,673 3:17 2017-09-15
Easton & Main
Easton & Main
11,236,599 3:58 2015-09-18
Long Drive Home
Long Drive Home
9,632,011 4:11 2015-09-18
Something to Hold on To
Something to Hold on To
8,119,965 4:46 2017-10-20
Pipe Bomb Dream
Pipe Bomb Dream
7,242,699 3:20 2017-10-06
Bossier City
Bossier City
7,222,859 3:18 2015-09-18
Morgan Street
Morgan Street
7,150,500 3:43 2012-05-08
Kansas City Southern
Kansas City Southern
7,147,865 3:18 2010-08-31
The Winding Stair Mountain Blues
The Winding Stair Mountain Blues
6,760,383 3:27 2017-10-20
Chipping Mill
Chipping Mill
6,742,763 3:21 2023-06-23
Come as You Are
Come as You Are
6,429,301 4:03 2016-07-22
Quit While I'm Ahead
Quit While I'm Ahead
6,105,422 4:02 2012-05-08
Shreveport
Shreveport
5,880,536 5:25 2010-08-31
Down on Washington
Down on Washington
5,434,076 3:47 2010-08-31
Brought Me
Brought Me
5,373,601 4:52 2023-08-04
The Funeral
The Funeral
5,025,012 4:43 2010-08-31
Leaving & Lonely
Leaving & Lonely
4,877,470 4:28 2010-08-31
Evangeline
Evangeline
4,726,594 4:34 2010-08-31
The Hard Way
The Hard Way
4,448,752 2:53 2017-10-20
Time of Day
Time of Day
3,874,208 3:23 2015-09-18
If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)
If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)
3,756,685 3:16 2013-01-01
Ringing in the Year
Ringing in the Year
3,746,099 4:15 2015-09-18
Blue Star
Blue Star
3,729,369 3:24 2012-05-08
Southeastern Son
Southeastern Son
3,678,019 3:33 2012-05-08
Empty As A Drum
Empty As A Drum
3,622,755 3:29 2012-05-08
A Cat in the Rain
A Cat in the Rain
3,617,330 5:17 2023-08-25
Sunday Morning Paper
Sunday Morning Paper
3,598,150 4:10 2017-09-29
The Rut
The Rut
3,480,310 4:33 2023-08-25
Fall out of Love
Fall out of Love
3,286,893 3:27 2015-09-18
Oklahoma Stars
Oklahoma Stars
3,261,318 3:14 2017-10-20
Doreen
Doreen
3,232,548 3:11 2015-09-18
Gone Gone Gone
Gone Gone Gone
3,218,674 4:10 2012-05-08
Call A Spade a Spade
Call A Spade a Spade
3,116,239 4:37 2012-05-08
7 Oaks
7 Oaks
2,982,784 4:02 2015-09-18
A Little Song
A Little Song
2,753,701 2:45 2015-09-18
The Last One (feat. Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours)
The Last One (feat. Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours)
2,451,467 3:33 2023-01-13
East Side Love Song (Bottoms Up)
East Side Love Song (Bottoms Up)
2,123,367 3:24 2023-08-25
Lucille
Lucille
1,973,511 3:43 2023-08-25
Black Sky
Black Sky
1,725,033 2:53 2023-08-25
Three More Days
Three More Days
1,433,738 3:07 2023-08-25
Won't You Give Me One More Chance
Won't You Give Me One More Chance
1,393,617 5:03 2023-08-25
Good Lord Lorrie - Live AF Version
Good Lord Lorrie - Live AF Version
5,464 4:49 2024-12-09
Pay No Rent - Live AF Version
Pay No Rent - Live AF Version
4,881 4:06 2024-12-09
Mean Old Sun - Live AF Version
Mean Old Sun - Live AF Version
4,122 3:44 2024-12-09
Brought Me - Live AF Version
Brought Me - Live AF Version
4,086 4:39 2024-12-09

New releases

Turnpike Troubadours Live AF Session (Live AF Version)
Turnpike Troubadours Live AF Session (Live AF Version)
2024-12-09
[Western AF]
A Cat in the Rain
A Cat in the Rain
2023-08-25
[Bossier City Records]
Brought Me
Brought Me
2023-08-04
[Bossier City Records]
Chipping Mill
Chipping Mill
2023-06-23
[Bossier City Records]
Mean Old Sun
Mean Old Sun
2023-05-05
[Bossier City Records]
A Long Way from Your Heart
A Long Way from Your Heart
2017-10-20
[Bossier City Records]
Pipe Bomb Dream
Pipe Bomb Dream
2017-10-06
[Bossier City Records]
Sunday Morning Paper
Sunday Morning Paper
2017-09-29
[Bossier City Records]
Old Time Feeling (Like Before)
Old Time Feeling (Like Before)
2017-09-15
[Bossier City Records]
The Housefire
The Housefire
2017-08-25
[Bossier City Records]
Come as You Are
Come as You Are
2016-07-22
[Motel Time Productions]
The Turnpike Troubadours
The Turnpike Troubadours
2015-09-18
[Bossier City Records]
The Bird Hunters
The Bird Hunters
2015-08-28
[Bossier City Records]
The Mercury
The Mercury
2015-08-07
[Bossier City Records]
Down Here
Down Here
2015-07-10
[Bossier City Records]
Goodbye Normal Street
Goodbye Normal Street
2012-05-08
[Bossier City Records]
Diamonds & Gasoline
Diamonds & Gasoline
2010-08-31
[Bossier City Records]