Michael Ford Jr. was a music business major
when he met The Apache Relay in a Belmont
University dorm. They were already deep into
“a very Americana, very rootsy” sound, and
before long the band was backing up Ford
around campus, and soon everywhere else.
Ford Jr. dropped out of college, and the
group, which at the time included Mike Harris
(guitar, vocals), Brett Moore (keys, guitar,
mandolin), Kellen Wenrich (fiddle, keys)
gigged relentlessly behind their 2009 debut
1988 and 2011’s breakthrough American
Nomad. Midway through their touring in
support of American Nomad Ford, Jr’s brother
joined the band rounding out the group’s line
up and sound. While touring in support of the
album The Apache Relay found themselves
opening for Mumford & Sons and hitting such
festivals as Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival,
Firefly Music Festival, Voodoo Music
Experience, among others.

The writing sessions for their new album, The
Apache Relay, were the first time the
Nashville-based group stopped to catch their
breath in years. Inspired by Shelby Lynne and
Richard Swift, and working with producer
Kevin Augunas at Fairfax Recordings, formerly
known as the famous California studio Sound
City, The Apache Relay shows a band eager
to push past their boundaries, and commitment
to always evolving their sound.