The Avett Brothers

About The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers started in Concord, North Carolina in 2000, when siblings Scott and Seth Avett decided to shift away from their previous rock band and do something different. They brought in bassist Bob Crawford and started playing a raw blend of folk, bluegrass, and punk rock energy that didn't quite fit into any established category. Their early sound was scrappy and intense, the kind of thing that built a following through word of mouth and relentless touring rather than radio play.

Their first few albums came out on small labels, but 2007's "Emotionalism" marked a turning point. Songs like "Paranoia in B-Flat Major" and "The Ballad of Love and Hate" showed they could write hooks that stuck without sanding down their rougher edges. They were still acoustic-forward and emotionally direct, but the songwriting had sharpened considerably. The album caught the attention of Rick Rubin, who saw something worth developing.

Rubin produced their 2009 album "I and Love and You," their first for a major label. The title track became their biggest song to that point, a bare-bones meditation on doubt and homecoming that worked because it didn't try too hard. The album smoothed out some of their earlier rawness but kept the emotional core intact. It hit the top five on the Billboard 200 and brought them to audiences who'd never heard of them before.

They followed it up with "The Carpenter" in 2012 and "Magpie and the Dandelion" in 2013, both with Rubin. These albums leaned into fuller arrangements and cleaner production, which won over new listeners but left some longtime fans missing the earlier chaos. Songs like "Live and Die" showed they could still land an emotional punch in a more polished setting, even if something was lost in translation.

Their subsequent albums have continued in this vein—well-crafted, earnest, occasionally veering into sentimentality but usually pulling back before going too far. "True Sadness" in 2016 experimented with different textures and production techniques. "Closer Than Together" in 2019 touched on political themes more directly than before, which felt natural given the times but also slightly outside their comfort zone.

They've remained remarkably consistent as a live act, playing hundreds of shows a year pre-pandemic and building the kind of dedicated fan base that follows them around the country. Their annual New Year's Eve shows have become small institutions. They've added members over the years—cellist Joe Kwon joined early on, and Mike Marsh has been their drummer since 2007—but the core identity has stayed rooted in the brothers' sibling harmonies and Scott's manic banjo playing.

At this point, they're an established presence in the broader Americana landscape. They're not reinventing themselves with each album, but they're still writing songs people connect with and filling venues reliably. That counts for something.

Their shows feel like someone opened a door to their living room. Crowds sing every word back, especially on the slower moments. There's a lot of genuine emotion in the room without it turning sappy. They play for hours. People cry. Some people drive very far to see them again.

Known for Incomplete and Irresolvable, Murder in the City, Shame, The Once and Future Carpenter, Kick Drum Heart

See The Avett Brothers Live