Fly Golden Eagle

Nashville psych-rock combo Fly Golden Eagle formed in the late 2000s around the talents of singer/songwriter Ben Trimble. A native of downriver Detroit, Trimble's musical influences began with a wildly musical, religious family, and the gospel and honky tonk music he heard as a child has nearly as much bearing on the band's eclectic sound as the classic rock, funk, and psychedelia that make up their dominant traits. Along with keyboardist Mitch Jones, bassist Matt Shaw, and drummer Richard Harper, Fly Golden Eagle released their debut album, Swagger, in late 2011, emerging as significant players in Nashville's burgeoning underground scene. Working with Alabama Shakes' Andrija Tokic as producer, they spent the next several years writing and fine-tuning their follow-up album. Released independently in late 2014, Quartz (and its abbreviated single-disc version Quartz Bijou) was an ambitious 26-track double album that eventually landed them a deal with ATO Records, which gave it a proper national release the following year. ~ Timothy Monger