Tracy Sampedro (drums) and Kelly Harper (guitar/vocals) have been friends since their college days in Boston, where they bonded over good music, cold beer, the occasional Berklee house party, and their parents' apparent affinity for unisex names.

By 2004, not too much had changed aside from location. And the two found themselves for a time enjoying lazy days in Austin, TX, writing songs and performing with their band, Hatchback, before life once again took them to separate towns. 

Undeterred -and still enjoying beer and music together whenever they found the chance- the guys eventually found themselves back together again in Austin around 2013. They promptly fell into some serious living room and backyard sessions, which inevitably led to more new tunes. 

With the help of some other good friends -Austin-based lead guitarist Travis Vaughan Johnson and recent NYC-transplant vocalist/songwriter/keyboardist Dre Mazzenga- the crew formed Troublehawk in 2013.

The collaboration stewed their shared influences of rock, blues, roots, and soul from artists such as Mason Jennings, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Allen Toussaint, Bonnie Raitt, Jim Croce, CCR, The Black Keys, Jack White, Alabama Shakes, Willie Nelson, Bad Company, and many, many, many more. 

Work on their debut self-produced EP started in 2014. And after a series of closet, living room and rehearsal space tracking and mixing sessions, it was released in Spring of 2015.

The group currently calls Austin home, with no plans to move...well, unless it's to grab another cold one from the cooler or to play a face-melting show near you.

Photographer: James Conant, James Gang Productions