The Columnist has existed in various incarnations since approximately 2009. The original line up was a five piece band consisting of guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. This group took an in-your-face alternative-rock approach to the singer-songwriter genre, with a tendency to use country and punk-rock elements. Following the disbanding of this group, the primary members of the band (brothers Patrick and Brandon Sammons) continued to play as a duo and released the record Town of Trains under the name Patrick O. Sammons & CO. in 2013. This record has more of an Americana feel than their earlier works. The Columnist is currently based in Austin and working on a new record.