Why is it that punk rockers grow up and become bluegrass players? I’m not sure if all the guys in the group The Welfare Liners were punk rockers coming up but I suspect they were fans of Black Flag more than they were of Bill Monroe. I think there’s something about the directness of bluegrass and folk and the fact that folk music is of the people much like punk.
The band is a bit of an Athens roots music supergroup with guys in the band also performing with the likes of Six String Drag, Sunbrain and The Burning Angels. “I’ve Seen The Love” is from the brand new EP and has some great one liners and some wonderful banjo and fiddle (I particularly like the lines “driving around this country, pretending that we’re famous” and “have you lost your passion, here take some of mine”). You can pick the EP up from the band here.