Lambchop

Lambchop’s story began in 1986, when former schoolmates Kurt Wagner (vocals and guitar), Jim Watkins (guitar), and Marc Trovillion (bass) formed the trio Posterchild in Nashville, Tennessee. Initially, the group produced home recordings and released tapes independently. Over the years, the lineup expanded to include various musicians from the local scene.

In 1992, after releasing a split single with the band Crop Circle Hoax, Posterchild received a notice to stop using the name due to its similarity to the band Poster Children. The following year, the group officially adopted the name Lambchop and released the single “Nine” on Merge Records. Their debut album, I Hope You're Sitting Down (also known as Jack’s Tulips), came out in 1994.

Despite constant changes in its lineup, Lambchop has always had Kurt Wagner as its primary creative force. Although initially associated with alternative country and the Nashville musical tradition, the group developed a unique and hard-to-label sound, incorporating elements of soul, jazz, chamber pop, folk, experimental music, and electronic music.

Nixon, released in 2000, became one of the band’s most celebrated works. On the album, Wagner and his collaborators blended country, soul, orchestral pop, and local references into sophisticated arrangements. The album received a particularly enthusiastic reception in the United Kingdom, helping to solidify the group’s international recognition.

In the decades that followed, Wagner continued to reinvent the project’s sonic identity. Albums such as Mr. M (2012), FLOTUS (2016), This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) (2019), and The Bible (2022) explored everything from intimate arrangements to experiments with electronic music and voice processing.

In August 2026, Lambchop released Punching the Clown, their 17th studio album. With a leaner instrumentation — based primarily on vocals, backing vocals, guitar, and banjo — the album blends elements of folk, country, and gospel, continuing the constant musical reinvention that has characterized the career of Kurt Wagner and the band.