NUG JUG: Appalachia's best Appalachian rock band!!!

A bit about us...

Blending Appalachian roots, a country swagger, and raw Americana power, the Knoxville based Nug Jug has honed its unique southern style into a well oiled, live entertainment machine. Boasting regular shows across the southeast, television appearances, and even a UK based fan club, The Jug (as fans call them) has had a wide appeal with music lovers bridging several traditional musical genres. With over fifty originals and dozens of covers from which to chose, Nug Jug has successfully wowed audiences ranging dramatically in age, socioeconomic status, and political affiliation.

Nug Jug formed in 2000 when guitarists Chuck Watt and Steve Smith returned home from South Carolina and drafted Knoxville drumming legend, Jason Ratliff into their new project, tentatively named “The Next.” Ratliff enlisted the help of friends from two former bands in the form of pedal steel and guitar wizard Tom Pryor, and bassist Bill Ardison. Over the next three years, the quintet would build on their southern foundations, developing the influences brought in by Pryor’s bluegrass background, the flexibility of a well rehearsed rhythm section, and the song writing prowess of Smith and Watt.

In 2003, Nug Jug independently released their first full length CD, “The Jug Giveth” and began to tour on a self procured budget to promote the multi-dimensional disc that featured songs written by four different members of the band and displayed both the musical agility and vocal talent of the group. In a series of contests held in the Knoxville area, fans were asked to describe the “feel” of the CD and live Jug performances, with the following responses earning the most merit:
“If Johnny Cash had joined AC/DC when Bon Scott died...”
“The Allman Brothers meet The Who.”
“It’s like being shot in the face with a rock and roll bazooka.”
“Kind of like the Drive-By Truckers, only with more country and more rock.”

Although Nug Jug has worked very hard on their 2006 CD release, “Those Singing Americans,” they have continued to reserve most of their collective energies for their live shows, which regularly feature dance contests, knick-knack giveaways, and humorous anecdotes in addition to their delivery of quality live music. Nug Jug hopes that this new disc will be their springboard to begin touring and promotion to markets beyond the southeast, and an opportunity to bring their unusually entertaining act to new venues.