About
Atlanta gave us plenty of musical treasures, but few bands captured the swampy, restless spirit of the South quite like Drivin N Cryin. Kevn Kinney and guitarist Jeff Sullivan founded the group in 1985, building a sound that refused to sit still — part Southern rock swagger, part punk energy, part alt-country twang. Kinney's weathered, emotionally raw vocals became the band's signature, anchoring a style that felt genuinely rootsy without ever getting complacent or nostalgic.
Their 1989 album Whisper Tames the Lion put them on the map, but Mystery Road from 1989 and Fly Me Courageous in 1991 are the records most fans point to as their creative peak. Fly Me Courageous actually cracked mainstream rock radio, giving them a brief but well-deserved moment in the spotlight. The band went through numerous lineup changes over the years, but Kinney remained the constant driving force, keeping the project alive through hiatuses and revivals.
Drivin N Cryin never quite became household names, but their influence on Southern alternative rock runs deep. They were doing the roots-meets-punk thing before it had a trendy label attached to it, earning serious respect from fellow musicians and devoted fans across the South and beyond. Kinney's solo work kept his credibility intact during the quiet years, and the band's periodic reunions have always felt genuine rather than cash-grab nostalgia trips.
