Splitting the difference between old-fashioned Southern rock and the bright, welcoming snap of contemporary country, the Morrison Brothers Band occupy a distinctive ground in modern country. Not as rough and tumble as Blackberry Smoke, not as pop as the Brothers Osborne, they have a full-bodied sound and an ear for melody, something that’s evident on their eponymous 2016 EP. Prior to that EP, the Morrison Brothers Band released a series of indie albums around their home base of Washington, D.C. Brothers Willie (vocals) and Truman Morrison (guitar) formed the group in 2007 when they were attending college in Los Angeles, then joined forced with brothers Kevin (guitar) and Matt Nolan (drums) after meeting the pair at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2008 and relocating to Washington, D.C. Bassist Dave Benson played with the group for a while, as did Nashville Star contestant Alyson Gilbert. This is the lineup that gained a strong following in the D.C. area in the early 2010s and can be heard on 2013’s indie album State of the Union. After 2014, Gilbert left and Benson was replaced by Derrick Royer, and this streamlined version of the Morrison Brothers Band headed to Nashville. The Morrison Brothers Band gigged constantly, including opening for Maggie Rose, a singer/songwriter who took a shine to the band. Through her, the group secured the opportunity to write a theme song for the Washington Capitals hockey team but, better still, Rose produced the group’s self-titled 2016 EP, which was released by Play It Again.
