A supergroup of sorts, Nashville-based
Trigger Hippy grew out of a casual collaboration between
Black Crowes drummer
Steve Gorman,
Black Crowes guitarist
Audley Freed, and Nashville session bassist
Nick Govrik.
The group, with
Widespread Panic guitarist
Jimmy Herring on board, made their live debut in 2009 at the Cox Capitol Theatre in Macon, Georgia.
Herring's tour commitments to
Widespread Panic led to his exit from the band, and singer
Joan Osborne and singer, songwriter, and
Black Crowes guitarist and multi-instrumentalist
Jackie Greene were called in. When
Freed departed the band in the spring of 2012,
Will Kimbrough replaced him briefly, and first-call Nashville session guitarist
Tom Bukovac rounded out the lineup that recorded the group's self-titled debut album, which was released by Rounder Records in 2014.
Osborne and
Greene gave
Trigger Hippy a stunning set of vocalists, and the band's sturdy roots approach and R&B, soul, country, and Southern jam band mix of influences had them poised for a promising commercial and critical career.
Greene left the group in 2015, with
Osborne departing in 2017. The new lineup featuring vocalist
Amber Woodhouse and guitarist/vocalist
Ed Jurdi debuted on 2019's
Full Circle and Then Some. ~ Steve Leggett