Led by the gifted songwriting, impeccable playing, and honeyed harmonies of vocalists/guitarists Mark Olson and Gary Louris, the Jayhawks’ shimmering blend of country, folk, and bar band rock made them one of the most widely acclaimed artists to emerge from the alternative country scene of the ’80s. Playing downcast, folk-leaning pop with Neil Young-informed country accents, the band emerged from the Minneapolis music scene in the mid-’80s, and after a pair of early independent releases, the group became critical favorites and cult heroes with the release of their first major-label album, 1992’s superb Hollywood Town Hall. After 1995’s Tomorrow the Green Grass, Olson left the group, and under Louris’ leadership, they went on, displaying a more pop-oriented direction on 2000’s Smile. After 2003’s Rainy Day Music, the Jayhawks went on hiatus, but Olson and Louris reunited the band for 2011’s Mockingbird Time. Olson once again dropped out, but Louris gave the band a third act with 2016’s adventurous Paging Mr. Proust.
The Jayhawks sprang up in 1985 out of the fertile musical community of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Olson had been playing standup bass in a rockabilly band called Stagger Lee. His desire to write and perform his own country-folk material soon prompted him to begin a solo career, which he launched after enlisting Marc Perlman, the guitarist for a local band called the Neglecters, to become Olson’s bassist. After the addition of drummer Norm Rogers, the group began booking shows, playing its first gig in front of a small crowd of less than a dozen people. One of those patrons, however, was Gary Louris, a veteran of the local bands Safety Last and Schnauzer. He and Olson began talking after the show; by the end of the evening, Louris — who was famed locally for his innovative, pedal steel-like guitar sound — had become a member of the group, which eventually adopted the name the Jayhawks.
Drawing on influences like Gram Parsons, the Louvin Brothers, Tim Hardin, and Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan, the Jayhawks quickly became a local favorite, honing their sound in Twin Cities clubs before releasing their eponymous debut in 1986. Issued in a pressing of just a few thousand copies, the album was well-received by those who heard it; a major recording deal did not follow, however, so the band members continued to polish their craft live, with more and more of their songs bearing writing credits belonging to both Olson and Louris. In October 1988, after a lineup change that saw the departure of Rogers (who joined the Cows) followed by the addition of drummer Thad Spencer, Louris was nearly killed in an auto accident, and the Jayhawks went on hiatus. At the same time, however, executives at the Minneapolis independent label Twin/Tone decided to issue the demos the group had been stockpiling over the past few years, and after some overdubbing and remixing, Blue Earth appeared in 1989. Richer in sound and more complex in its themes and concerns, the record’s release brought the group considerable attention, and also brought Louris back into the fold. After another drummer switch (Spencer for Ken Callahan), the band hit the road for a national tour.