The Coal Porters

After the dissolution of the Long Ryders, Sid Griffin (who is also a music journalist and author of Gram Parsons: A Music Biography)formed the Coal Porters in Los Angeles with Long Ryders drummer Greg Sowders and English bassist Ian Thomson. The group, which would soon relocate to England, debuted with Rebels Without Applause (originally an Australian 12" EP), following that in 1994 with the band's first LP, Land of Hope and Crosby. The effort featured such guests as ex-Green on Red organist Chris Cacavas and ex-Rockpile member Billy Bremner. Griffin continued to use a revolving cast of musicians on the follow-up, Los London. The Gram Parsons Tribute Concert, a recording of a concert at the Garage in London in September of 1998, would prove to be the Coal Porters' last electric effort before Griffin took the group in an acoustic direction. Griffin was producing Here Comes the Neighbourhood by Lindisfarne when he found himself inspired by that group's acoustic sound. Subsequently, the Coal Porters re-emerged as an acoustic bluegrass project, with Griffin on mandolin, Pat McGarvey on banjo, Neil Robert Herd on guitar, Alan Bisset on bass, and Ivor Ottley on fiddle. In 2001, that version of the Coal Porters released the all-acoustic bluegrass album The Chris Hillman Tribute Concerts, which explored the career of the ex-Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers member. The acoustic Coal Porters made their studio debut in 2004, with the album How Dark This Earth Will Shine.