Split Lip Rayfield

The Kansas-based post-punk progressive bluegrass outfit Split Lip Rayfield was comprised of vocalist/banjoist David Lawrence, guitarist/dobroist Kirk Rundstrom, and one-string bassist Jeff Eaton, whose instrument was fashioned from the gas tank of a 1965 Ford. An outgrowth of the group Scroat Belly (though it didn't take long for them to outlive the band that spawned them), the trio debuted in 1998 with a self-titled LP issued on the Bloodshot label. In the Mud followed a year later; by this time, singer and mandolin player Wayne Gottstine had expanded the lineup to four pieces and Eric Mardis had replaced Lawrence on banjo. The new millennium saw the release of a third effort, Never Make It Home, which arrived in stores in late 2000. After three years of touring, which saw the group opening for everyone from Del McCoury to Nashville Pussy, Split Lip Rayfield recorded and released a fourth long-player, Should Have Seen It Coming, in 2004. In early 2006, Rundstrom (who had also released a few solo records) was diagnosed with cancer. He continued to perform with the band for months as he fought and underwent treatment, but Rundstrom ultimately succumbed to the disease in February 2007, just about a week after playing what would be his last show.

from Wikipedia:

Split Lip Rayfield is a vocal and acoustic instrumental group from Wichita, Kansas. Though they are sometimes classified as a bluegrass, alt-country or cowpunk band, their music draws on a wide array of influences.

History

Split Lip Rayfield is a band from Wichita, Kansas featuring Kirk Rundstrom (guitar), Eric Mardis (banjo), Wayne Gottstine (mandolin), and Jeff Eaton (bass). Early on, the group's gimmick was Eaton's homemade one-string bass, named Stitchgiver, built from the gastank of a 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis and a piece of hickory and strung with one piece of Weedwhacker line.

The name "Split Lip Rayfield" was inspired by a real-life person of that name who lived in Eaton's hometown of Gumbo, Missouri, when Eaton was a boy.

The trio of Rundstrom, Eaton and Mardis recorded the album Split Lip Rayfield in 1998; Bloodshot released it that same year.

1999 saw the release of In the Mud, the first album on which the group performed as a quartet. This album contained fan favorites such as Gottstine's "3.2 Flu", Rundstrom's "Devil", Mardis' "Hounds" and a cover of the George Jones/Melba Montgomery song "Easy Street." The band followed up the album's release with a nationwide tour.

The band's next album, Never Make It Home, also achieved success, as did the subsequent tour.

Following the Never Make It Home tour, Split Lip Rayfield took a short hiatus so that its members could refocus on family life and side projects. Upon reassembling, the group traveled to New Orleans to make a record with friend and fellow performer Mike West. The resulting disc, Should Have Seen It Coming, won critical praise.

In 2005, Gottstine left the touring group for personal reasons. The remaining trio continued to tour; however. Gottstine returned in Summer 2006 after Kirk Rundstrom's cancer diagnosis.

In 2008 the group guest wrote various music pieces for an episode of the Adultswim show Squidbillies entitled, Mephistopheles Traveled Below to a Southern State Whose Motto is 'Wisdom, Justice and Moderation'.

Illness

Early in 2006, while on tour in Colorado, Rundstrom sought medical attention for pain in his throat and difficulty in swallowing. Doctors quickly concluded that he had esophageal cancer, and would need immediate, intense treatment.

Heavy doses of radiation and chemotherapy were unable to completely reverse the damage, and Rundstrom's health suffered greatly from the treatments. However, by early autumn, he was playing shows again. Kirk was administered doses of intravenous vitamin C. He lived a year and a half longer than doctors expected.

A fully reunited Split Lip Rayfield embarked on another tour, and played what was billed as its "final" show on December 8, 2006, Live at the Cotillion Ballroom, in Wichita.

Rundstrom died on February 22, 2007 in Wichita. He is survived by his father, wife and two daughters.

The group decided to continue playing without a replacement dedicating each show to Rundstrom. Gottstine rejoined the fold permanently and their first show without Rundstrom was in August 2007.

Influence

Split Lip Rayfield helped pioneer what came to be known as the "Stage Five" sound, named for the notorious "unofficial" Stage 5 at the annual Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.

Typically, bluegrass musicians played traditional folk and country songs on acoustic string instruments. Bands like Split Lip faithfully used traditional acoustic instruments, but played songs that were more closely related stylistically to rock, punk or heavy metal.

Although Split Lip wasn't the first of its kind—other groups like the Bad Livers came before—a growing number of acoustic "thrash-grass" bands owe a great debt to Split Lip for helping to define the genre.