Drag the River
Fort Collins' punks-gone-country, led by ALL's Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass, with whiskey-worn harmonies and heartland ache. Fest's morning-after soundtrack.
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About Drag the River
Drag the River is an alt-country band from FORT COLLINS, CO, formed in 1996.
Drag the River came together in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1996, when Chad Price, then singing for the punk band All, began working with Jon Snodgrass of Armchair Martian, along with Paul Rucker and J.J. Nobody of the Nobodys. All four came from punk backgrounds and turned that history toward country songwriting.
The band's sound settled around two-part harmonies over acoustic guitars and pedal steel, played with a loose, unpolished feel, and lyrics that stay plainspoken and rueful rather than sentimental. That sound was first documented on 2000's Hobo's Demos. Steel guitarist Zach Boddicker joined in 2001, appearing on Closed, released through Upland Records in 2002, and the live album Live at the Starlight, issued the same year.
Drag the River became a reference point for punk musicians moving toward alt-country, even as its lineup kept shifting: Casey Prestwood of Hot Rod Circuit took over pedal steel duties, and Dave Barker replaced Rucker on bass. Signed to Suburban Home Records in 2006, the band released It's Crazy that June, toured widely, and broke up the following year, marking the split with a shared release alongside the band Dents.
The group reunited in January 2008 and issued You Can't Live This Way that same month. Live at the Starlight was made available as a free download in 2009 after unauthorized copies began circulating online, and the band toured Europe before the decade closed. Drag the River has broken up and reconvened more than once since, with Price and Snodgrass maintaining solo work and other projects alongside the band, playing on as a duo or full lineup.
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Questions about Drag the River
Where is Drag the River from?
Drag the River is from FORT COLLINS, CO.
Who is in Drag the River?
Drag the River is Dave Barker, Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass. Former members include Casey James Prestwood.
When did Drag the River form?
Drag the River formed in Fort Collins in 1996.
What was Drag the River's first album?
Drag the River's first album was Closed (2002). The latest is Drag the River (2013).
Is Drag the River on tour?
Yes. Drag the River has 2 shows listed, from San Diego, CA on Dec 3, 2026 to Denver, CO on Dec 19, 2026.
What kind of music does Drag the River play?
Drag the River plays alt-country and cowpunk.
What festivals has Drag the River played before?
Drag the River has played The Fest 2026.