The Railbenders
This Denver, Colorado band plays unabashed, straight-no-chaser music that pulls no punches and offers no apologies for the love of some of the finer things in life: whiskey, women, song, and good timin’ friends. While their songs are soaked in traditional country influence, their various rock and punk backgrounds give them a jagged edge appeal. Their music and dynamic live shows have made them one of the top draws in Colorado, bringing in a diverse fan base of all ages.
Formed in 2000 by Jim Dalton (vocals, guitar) and Tyson Murray (upright bass), the Railbenders took a mutual love of Johnny Cash, Waylon, Hank Williams, rock ‘n’ roll, punk, whiskey, and threw it all together to create their own sound. Powered by the steady rollin’ drums of Graham Haworth and the blazing guitar picking of Tony Nascar (“The fastest guitar in the West), the band has garnered local awards, including “Top Country Band” by the Rocky Mountain News (2004 & 2005), and “Best Country/Roots Band” five years in a row (2002 to 2005) in the annual Westword Music Showcase.
With their unique brand of music, The Railbenders have gained fans within the country community – they’ve been invited to open for Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels, and David Allan Coe. In 2007, they were asked to play Stagecoach in Indio, CA, where they opened a stage that featured Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Junior Brown, John Doe, Drive-By Truckers, and Alejandro Escovedo. They’ve made friends with acclaimed country and rock musicians like Jesse Dayton and Eddie Spaghetti (of Supersuckers fame), who were both so impressed with the Railbenders, they’ve both appeared on their CD’s – Jesse lays down the lead guitar on “Black Rose” from 2006’s Showdown, and Eddie lends his pipes on two tracks on 2004’s Segundo. Johnny Hickman of Cracker, who is a frequent special guest guitarist, says, “I know all of their songs, I’m a fan.”
The Railbenders won a sponsorship from Coors in 2004, a relationship that continues today. Their music has been featured on shows such as A&E’s “Rollergirls” television series. Altitude Sports & Entertainment Network (Comcast) produced a show on the band that earned them exposure throughout the Midwestern states. Current airplay on XM Radio’s “X-Country” channel is giving the band exposure to a nationwide audience.
