Ingram Hill

by Alex Henderson
Contrary to what some might assume, Ingram Hill is not of the name of a solo artist but rather, a band; no one in Ingram Hill is actually named Ingram Hill (just like there was never a musician named Lynyrd Skynyrd or Jethro Tull -- at least not in either of those well-known '70s bands). Like Cracker, Train, and Tonic, Ingram Hill has an earthy, unpretentious approach that is relevant to both alternative pop/rock and roots rock. The Memphis-based foursome aren't an exact replica of classic rockers from the '60s and '70s -- their work is, by '90s and early-2000s standards, more modern -- but they do have a certain down-home rootsiness that has gone over well in Southern rock circles. That isn't to say that their sound is stereotypically southern in the way that Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, the Outlaws, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Black Oak Arkansas were stereotypically southern back in the '70s; Ingram Hill doesn't get into hell-raisin' good ol' boy stereotypes, and their lyrics tend to be reflective, introspective, and thoughtful. Ingram Hill brings a long list of influences to their work -- a list that ranges from Tonic, Cracker, Blues Traveler, and the Gin Blossoms to the Black Crowes (a frequent comparison), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Rolling Stones, and John Cougar Mellencamp. Ingram Hill was formed during the summer of 2000, when Justin Moore (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Phil Bogard (lead guitar) joined forces with two other musicians they knew from the University of Memphis, Shea Sowell (bass, background vocals) and Matt Chambless (drums). Before Ingram Hill, Moore and Bogard had played together in a Memphis band called the Bamboozlers (who were together from 1997-2000 and put out a CD titled Shopping for Stuart). In 2001 and 2002, Ingram Hill toured the Deep South extensively, and developed a small but enthusiastic regional following in that part of the United States. Their first release came in 2002, when they put out their debut EP, Until Now, on their own label, Traveler Records. Five of the disc's eight tracks were produced by Tonic singer Emerson Hart, and Until Now sold around 10,000 copies. Then, in 2003, the Memphis residents released their first full-length album, June's Picture Show, on Traveler; the CD was produced by Rick Beato, who had worked with Billionaire, the Tender Idols, Flickerstick, and singer/songwriter Michelle Malone, among others. June's Picture Show had only been out a few weeks when Ingram Hill signed with Hollywood Records, which re-released the album in February 2004. Cold in California followed from Hollywood in 2007.