The folk stylings of the Hank Dogs came together in 1992 with singer/songwriter Andy Allen, arranger Piano, and their daughter Lily Ramona. The made their debut at the Easycome Acoustic Club in South London, and producer Jon Kertzer took notice. He'd been in London for a while but returned to his native Seattle to work with the Bumbershoot Festival in 1998. He brought the Hank Dogs with him and prepped the group for their rootsy debut, Bareback. The album was a critical success; the band received a standing ovation at Bumbershoot and toured the U.S., while Bareback was named Record of the Month by WXPN in Philadelphia. Four years later, the Hank Dogs scored a deal with spinART and issued Half Smile in May 2002. ~ MacKenzie Wilson