Patterson Hood

A songwriter who pens forceful, literate, but unpretentious stories of life in the American South, Patterson Hood is best known as the leader of the hard rock band the Drive-By Truckers; he has also pursued a solo career as well as writing and producing for other artists. While Hood delivers both electric and acoustic material with the DBTs, he tends to save his more personal and emotionally intimate material for his solo efforts, leaving rock by the wayside in favor of low-key pop and contemporary folk. 2004's Killers and Stars was a lo-fi experiment devoted to themes that wouldn't fit his band, 2012's Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance featured songs inspired by an uncompleted novel, and 2025's Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams was a powerfully atmospheric song cycle informed by events from Hood's childhood.