It is safe to say that the Raelyn Nelson Band, led by granddaughter of Willie Nelson, has taken the same initiative as The Cowboy Junkies did in the 80’s. Raelyn and her band members have taken the road less travelled by as they place a new spin, and maybe even genre, into the country music she grew up with. Given that their remarkable sound came after Raelyn’s collaborating with Jonathan Bright, it’s definitely something to look out for.
Origins of the Raelyn Nelson Band
Raelyn has been singing all her life, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. Since she was a little girl she was used to big concerts and music. From there she learnt how to play guitar at the age of 14, thanks to Willie who gave her a Martin acoustic which she still plays. For the most part she sticked to traditional country music, although her influences weren’t exclusive. As her skills with the guitar developed she started writing her own folk and country songs.
Introduction with Jonathan Bright
Just like every aspiring musician, Raelyn started looking for a place to record her songs. As fate would have it, she was introduced to Jonathan through a mutual friend. Jonathan has made quite a name for himself as a veteran musician and producer in the underground punk/rock scene. His chance meeting with Raelyn sparked something that would produce a sound unlike what country fans are used to hearing. He recorded Raelyn’s songs and afterward they decided to write a few together. They loved it so much that he asked his own band members Paulie Simmons and Preach Rutherford to join them.
Recording and Releasing their First EP
As the Raelyn Nelson Band stepped into the studio it wasn’t hard to guess that something different would be created. The band 
refers to their songs as country/garage rock, and it’s a spot on reference. Predominantly rock and punk, the touch of country flows through every track, especially the slower songs and the duet Raelyn sings with Papa Willie. What the band does quite well is switching between the more aggressive songs to the more sentimental tunes. For instance “Do You” and “Careless” is built on powerfully driven vocals while “Moon Song” takes a more controlled style. If anything this EP can be considered to be an experiment. It touches base on what they are capable of and where they plan to take it.
Some Background Info
For Raelyn tragedy struck rather early in her life when her father, Willie Nelson, Jr. “Billy”, died. She was only 7 and it might also be why her passion for music is so distinct. She also strongly believes in fighting against cruelty to animals, joining her aunt Amy in grabbing public and political attention as often as possible. For those who want to check out some life performances from the band then be sure to look at the concert they took part in last year June. It was the 80th birthday of her grandfather Willie and the whole family contributed including Willie himself.
The Raelyn Nelson Band is a rising entity that’s breathing new life into the popular country genre and generating fans from across the spectrum.
