The V-Roys
Encyclopedia
The V-Roys are a Knoxville
, Tennessee
-based alternative country
band signed to E-Squared Records
. The band was described as "walking the fine line between rootsy country and cutting-edge alternative rock
". Scott Miller
, John Paul Keith, and Mic Harrison were the primary songwriters for the band.
, lead guitarist John Paul Keith, bassist Paxton Sellers, and drummer Jeff Bills. They were originally named The Viceroys, but were forced to change it after being threatened with a lawsuit from a Jamaican band.
Before their first album was recorded, Keith left the band was replaced by Mic Harrison.
's E-Squared Records
. The title is a playful reference to their decision to remove the letters "ice" from "The Viceroys" as a result of the threatened lawsuit. The album is described as a "solid reflection of their live show" and "jangling, melancholy country–rock". The band recorded it "live without a lot of bells and
whistles, to get something out as quick as we could and go out and support it".
1998's All About Town is a "more subtle, but endlessly melodic" album that saw the band "stretch out and add elements of bluegrass and broader production values". Miller commented that Earle "pushed us a lot harder and put his foot way up our asses this time", and "handed songs back to us if they weren't good enough". Allmusic describes the album as "twelve concise songs that swing from the Creedence-ish
"Window Song" to the country-folk of "Mary" to the sounds of Appalachia
in "Virginia Way" to the great highway tune of "Strange".
Both of the band's studio albums were produced by Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy
, known as the "Twangtrust".
After road-weariness, Earle losing interest, and reaching their creative peak, the band decided to break up. They released a live album, Are You Through Yet?, recorded at a concert at the Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee
. The album is complemented as a "as a marvelous send-off, but it also provides a fine introduction to the group for those who missed them the first time around".
The band played what was then called their final show at the historic Tennessee Theatre
on New Year's Eve, 1999.
Their live show was often complimented. It was illustrated as shows that "swung from honky-tonk pathos to punk-ish ferocity, and by the end of a show it was sometimes hard to tell one from the other". The band was particularly popular locally; shows were described as "genuine events, with advance tickets, sold-out clubs". Just Add Ice was said to be the best selling album in ten years at a Knoxville record store.
The V-Roys were named the best Knoxville band ever in a 2009 poll ran by Knoxville's weekly newspaper Metro Pulse
. The voters were members of the Knoxville music industry.
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
-based alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
band signed to E-Squared Records
E-Squared Records
E-Squared Records was an record label founded in 1996 by singer-songwriter and producer Steve Earle and seasoned music executive Jack Emerson. The label produced a series of albums by Earle, starting with 1996's I Feel Alright. Warner Bros. supported the label on many early releases...
. The band was described as "walking the fine line between rootsy country and cutting-edge alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
". Scott Miller
Scott Miller (musician)
Scott Miller is a rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born in 1968, Miller grew up on a farm in Swoope, Virginia. After graduating from William and Mary, he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1990. In 1994, he helped form a band called the Viceroys, which ultimately morphed into The...
, John Paul Keith, and Mic Harrison were the primary songwriters for the band.
History
The band was formed in Knoxville in 1994, with guitarist/vocalist Scott MillerScott Miller (musician)
Scott Miller is a rock and roll singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born in 1968, Miller grew up on a farm in Swoope, Virginia. After graduating from William and Mary, he moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1990. In 1994, he helped form a band called the Viceroys, which ultimately morphed into The...
, lead guitarist John Paul Keith, bassist Paxton Sellers, and drummer Jeff Bills. They were originally named The Viceroys, but were forced to change it after being threatened with a lawsuit from a Jamaican band.
Before their first album was recorded, Keith left the band was replaced by Mic Harrison.
Releases
The V-Roys first album, Just Add Ice was the first release on Steve EarleSteve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
's E-Squared Records
E-Squared Records
E-Squared Records was an record label founded in 1996 by singer-songwriter and producer Steve Earle and seasoned music executive Jack Emerson. The label produced a series of albums by Earle, starting with 1996's I Feel Alright. Warner Bros. supported the label on many early releases...
. The title is a playful reference to their decision to remove the letters "ice" from "The Viceroys" as a result of the threatened lawsuit. The album is described as a "solid reflection of their live show" and "jangling, melancholy country–rock". The band recorded it "live without a lot of bells and
whistles, to get something out as quick as we could and go out and support it".
1998's All About Town is a "more subtle, but endlessly melodic" album that saw the band "stretch out and add elements of bluegrass and broader production values". Miller commented that Earle "pushed us a lot harder and put his foot way up our asses this time", and "handed songs back to us if they weren't good enough". Allmusic describes the album as "twelve concise songs that swing from the Creedence-ish
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
"Window Song" to the country-folk of "Mary" to the sounds of Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
in "Virginia Way" to the great highway tune of "Strange".
Both of the band's studio albums were produced by Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy
Ray Kennedy (country singer)
Ray Kennedy is an American country music artist. He has recorded three studio albums: one on Columbia Records and two on Atlantic Records...
, known as the "Twangtrust".
After road-weariness, Earle losing interest, and reaching their creative peak, the band decided to break up. They released a live album, Are You Through Yet?, recorded at a concert at the Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
. The album is complemented as a "as a marvelous send-off, but it also provides a fine introduction to the group for those who missed them the first time around".
The band played what was then called their final show at the historic Tennessee Theatre
Tennessee Theatre
The Tennessee Theatre is a 1920s-era movie palace, located within the Burwell Building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, at 604 South Gay Street.-History:...
on New Year's Eve, 1999.
Reunion
In July 2011, it was announced that band the would be releasing a compilation album on Miller's record label. The album will feature songs from their two studio albums, and previously unreleased tracks. They will also be playing a concert on New Year's Eve 2011 in Knoxville. The show is called "One Show; Goodbye".Reception
The band was described as "a critically acclaimed, commercially under appreciated" band with a "tasty brand of roots rock".Their live show was often complimented. It was illustrated as shows that "swung from honky-tonk pathos to punk-ish ferocity, and by the end of a show it was sometimes hard to tell one from the other". The band was particularly popular locally; shows were described as "genuine events, with advance tickets, sold-out clubs". Just Add Ice was said to be the best selling album in ten years at a Knoxville record store.
The V-Roys were named the best Knoxville band ever in a 2009 poll ran by Knoxville's weekly newspaper Metro Pulse
Metro Pulse
Metro Pulse is a weekly newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee.It was founded in 1991 by Ashley Capps, Rand Pearson, Ian Blackburn, and Margaret Weston. Metro Pulse has been a member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies since 1993....
. The voters were members of the Knoxville music industry.
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Just Add Ice | E-Squared Records |
| 1998 | All About Town | E-Squared Records |
| 2000 | Are You Through Yet | E-Squared Records |