Ed Hamell, who performs under the name Hamell on Trial, managed to build a steady following for his anti-folk, punk rock-influenced acoustic music. Alternating between brash and funny, his sound has more in common with rock than the gentle folksingers of yore. Hamell on Trial got its start in upstate New York, where Hamell split from the band he was playing with and enjoyed a brief stint at Syracuse's Blue Wave Records. He eventually decided that a journey south might be beneficial to his musical career and relocated to Austin, TX.