Railroad Earth

Who Are These Guys?

Railroad Earth is an American jamgrass band formed in 2001 in Stillwater, New Jersey. They play acoustic, string-band instruments (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, upright bass) but they play them with the loose, exploratory instinct of a jam band. Long shows, songs that stretch and open up, and a devoted taping-and-festival culture are the whole point.

Two things make them singular. First, the songwriting: frontman Todd Sheaffer writes warm, literate, road-worn songs that reward close listening. Second, the improvisation: onstage those songs become vehicles for interplay between fiddle, mandolin, and guitar that can go anywhere. The band took its name from a Jack Kerouac poem, "October in the Railroad Earth," which tells you exactly what kind of American romanticism they're after.

If you already love the Grateful Dead, Old & In the Way, or the whole newgrass tradition of Sam Bush and New Grass Revival, you have already been walking toward this band your whole life.

The Story

Railroad Earth did not slowly build a following. They emerged nearly fully formed, out of the ashes of another beloved New Jersey band, and were playing major festivals within a year.

1. 2001

   Formed in Stillwater, New Jersey

   After the breakup of the popular Jersey band From Good Homes, singer-guitarist Todd Sheaffer joined with a group of veteran players. They rehearsed for a few weeks, cut a five-song demo live in the studio, and almost immediately landed slots at festivals like Telluride Bluegrass. The demo became their debut, The Black Bear Sessions.

2. 2002

   Bird in a House

   Their second album delivered the songs that still anchor the live show, including the title track and "Like a Buddha." The blend was set: bluegrass instrumentation, folk-rock songcraft, and Celtic and jazz colors mixed in.

3. 2004–2008

   The Good Life, Elko, and Amen Corner

   The Good Life (2004) and Amen Corner (2008) deepened the catalog, while the double live album Elko (2006) captured what the studio never quite could: the band in full flight, stretching songs like "Seven Story Mountain" and "Elko" into extended jams.

4. 2010

   The self-titled album and a new bassist

   Their self-titled record arrived as the band's reputation as a live act peaked. Around this time Andrew Altman came in on upright and electric bass, a role he still holds.

5. 2014

   Last of the Outlaws

   An ambitious, cinematic album anchored by the multi-part suite "All That's Dead May Live Again." It showed a band still pushing at the edges of what a string band could be on a studio record.

6. 2018

   Losing Andy Goessling

   Founding multi-instrumentalist Andy Goessling, the band's secret weapon on everything from banjo and dobro to saxophone and flute, died of cancer on October 12, 2018, after stepping back from touring the year before. His loss was profound, and it reshaped the band.

7. 2022

   All for the Song

   Their first studio album in eight years, and the most emotional of their career. Made in the wake of Goessling's death, it includes "The Great Divide," Sheaffer's aching tribute to his fallen bandmate.

8. 2026

   Still on the rails

   More than two decades in, Railroad Earth remains a working touring band with a fiercely loyal audience, releasing new singles and continuing the long-show, every-night-is-different tradition that made their name.

Start Here

Railroad Earth is a live band before it is a studio band, so start with performances. Watch these four in order. By the end of the last one, you will understand the whole appeal.

The Albums

The studio records are the songbook; the live shows are where those songs come alive. Here's the map, with the copper-topped cards marking the best entry points.

The Playlists

Two YouTube Music playlists: a First Listen to walk you in through the front door, and a Deep Cuts set for once the fiddle and mandolin have their hooks in you. Hit the button on either card to play it.

The Band

Railroad Earth is a true ensemble. The magic is the interplay, the way fiddle, mandolin, and guitar pass melodies back and forth like a single instrument with many voices.

• Todd SheafferGuitar / VoxFounder, lead singer, and principal songwriter; the warm literate voice at the band's center
• Tim CarboneViolin / VoxThe fiery, expressive fiddle that so often leads the jams; also a noted producer
• John SkehanMandolinMandolin and bouzouki; a melodic anchor and a key improvisational voice
• Carey HarmonDrums / VoxFounding drummer; the pulse that lets a string band actually swing and rock
• Andrew AltmanBassUpright and electric bass; joined around 2010 and has held down the low end since
• Mike RobinsonMulti-Instr.Joined touring in 2019 on banjo, dobro, pedal steel and more, helping carry the many roles Andy Goessling once filled

Influences

Railroad Earth's jamgrass sits where bluegrass meets the endless jam. These are the records that made that possible.

Interviews

The band is happy to talk craft, and hearing them explain the improvisation makes the live shows land even harder. Two to watch.

Going Deeper

Once the band gets its hooks in you, the ecosystem around it, built on the same taper-and-setlist culture the Grateful Dead invented, is deep and welcoming.

• The live tapes — decades of shows circulate freely on the Internet Archive (archive.org) and elsewhere. Because no two setlists repeat, digging through years of recordings is its own reward.
• Hangtown & the festivals — the band has long anchored its own festival culture, and their festival sets are where the deepest, longest jams tend to happen. Seek them out.
• Start with a full show — pick a well-regarded night (a New Year's run or a Red Rocks show is a safe bet) and listen front to back, the way it was played. The pacing of a full set is part of the art.
• The songbook runs deep — beyond the staples, chase down "Elko," "Mighty River," "Mourning Flies," and the Last of the Outlaws suite once the essentials have taken hold.