Based in Bloomington, IL, Backyard Tire Fire is an alt-country trio led by singer, songwriter, slide guitarist, and former Brother Jed member Ed Anderson. Bassist Matt Anderson (Ed's brother) and drummer Tim Kramp complete the group, whose music draws from folk, country, and blues traditions. The band issued an eponymous album, 2003's Backyard Tire Fire, before partnering with O.I.E. Records for the release of Live at the Georgia Theatre, an energetic concert recording taken from a show on October 23, 2002. Bar Room Semantics followed in 2005, the Skin and Bones EP in 2006, and Vagabonds and Hooligans in 2007. The latter album generated an unprecedented amount of press for the bandmates, who soon found themselves opening for the likes of Jason Isbell and Lynyrd Skynyrd while playing upwards of 200 shows a year. Backyard Tire Fire then returned in 2008 with The Places We Lived, an analog album that mixed guitar-driven rock songs with plaintive piano ballads. ~ Steve Leggett