The Genuine Junk Band is currently touring in support of its new album, Stories from the Hills and Sea. Photo courtesy GJB

Ian Caldwell
     - guitar, effects
Mary Gillum
     - lead vocals
Nathan Gillum
     - guitar, piano, mandolin, vocals
Chris Justice
     - bass
Dave Knipp
     - drums, percussion

Fittingly, the Genuine Junk Band formed in the small steel town of Ashland, Kentucky, where a group of high school friends made sparks fly with a passion for music and a similar vision of creativity.

It was 1998, and word spread quickly across the small town (a community typically known for its deep history in country/bluegrass music) about the ensemble band playing its own "junk" style that blended rock, jazz, blues, and roots music with lyrics and ideas reflective of the band members’ personal experiences in Appalachia. Without ever intending to do so, the group began to create a sound that was original and unique to the area.

The Genuine Junk Band was born.

Heralded by critics and peers, the band's music has been said to have an adventurous quality that balances expertly between smoothness and that rough-and-ready edge. GJB quickly realized that the shortage of venues and radio stations in the area that supported its genre-crossing style meant that the group would have to take its show on the road. The Junk Band continued to grind it out, performing whenever possible, solidifying its lineup and becoming seasoned, educated musicians. Most of the group has either studied classically or hold music degrees.

Now, armed with a professional sound system, lighting rig and a 26-foot motor home affectionately nicknamed HaRVy, GJB is fully equipped for its mission: to bring the band’s contagious sound and impressive live show to the people. With more than 500 shows under its belt, the band is building a reputation as one of Kentucky's most resilient acts. In 2006, they signed with 9 Lives Records and released This Is It, a debut that has seen airplay on college, commercial and Internet radio and sold out the first pressing.

After all the years together, the band members’ goal is as simple and straightforward as ever: to perform the music they love for those who have a passion for a sound that cannot be found on Top 40 radio.

Discography

• Railroad St. - ()
• This Is It  - 9 Lives Records (2006)
  
• Stories from the Hills and Sea - 9 Lives Distribution (2008)