The Jayhawks

The Jayhawks
The Jayhawks in 2011
Background information
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genres	Alternative country country rock alternative rock roots rock Americana
Years active	1984–2005 2009–2012 2014–present
Labels	Bunkhouse Twin/Tone Def American Rounder Thirty Tigers/Sham
Members	Gary Louris Marc Perlman Karen Grotberg Tim O'Reagan
Past members	Caleb Palmiter Norm Rogers Thad Spencer Ken Callahan Jessy Greene Jen Gunderman Mark Olson Kraig Johnson John Jackson Stephen McCarthy
Website	jayhawksofficial.com

The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, such as Uncle Tupelo, the Gear Daddies and the Honeydogs. They have released eleven studio albums, with and without Olson (who left the band for the first time in 1995), including five on the American Recordings label. After going on hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the 1995 lineup of the band reunited and released the album Mockingbird Time in September 2011; Olson left the band for the second time after the tour to promote the album. After another hiatus in 2013, the 1997 lineup led by Louris reunited to play shows in 2014 to support the reissue of three albums originally released between 1997 and 2003. Since then, the band has continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Live at The Belly Up in 2015; Paging Mr. Proust, co-produced by Peter Buck, in 2016; Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018; and XOXO in 2020.