Attakulla has been creating what is best described as a revival of American garage rock wrapped in a crunchy, electrified folk sound.

Though the band moniker may have changed (formerly known as Nightjar), the spirit of combining a roots-rock attitude with lyrical storytelling has remained constant.

Attakulla generates plenty of power and bluesy guitar attack from lead guitarist Joe Hodson and songwriter Greg Osborne, but the group also drifts into a poetic and almost spiritual tone that ...  read more

Attakulla has been creating what is best described as a revival of American garage rock wrapped in a crunchy, electrified folk sound.

Though the band moniker may have changed (formerly known as Nightjar), the spirit of combining a roots-rock attitude with lyrical storytelling has remained constant.

Attakulla generates plenty of power and bluesy guitar attack from lead guitarist Joe Hodson and songwriter Greg Osborne, but the group also drifts into a poetic and almost spiritual tone that conjures up images of lazy summers on Southern porch fronts.

It's easy to envision a listener having Attakulla's songs on the same playlist with historical artists like Crazy Horse and The Rolling Stones, but also alongside contemporaries such as Jason Isbell, Gaslight Anthem and Deer Tick. Aided by drummer Nathan Dynak, keyboardist Brian Gropp, and Ericka Perron on bass, the band takes a journey that pays homage to the mountains of the Carolinas, the energy of the American Northwest, and the sensibility of Midwest small towns. Vocalist Mandy Gingerich singing in harmony with Osborne infuses a sense of collective fellowship between all the band members.

The ability to simultaneous capture the feeling of hometown disappointment with big city excitement is showcased on the signature song "Cold Town". It ranges from melancholy banjos to blazing guitars that gorgeously exemplify the musical range of the band.

There's a boozy rawness to Attakulla where you might imagine whiskey shots and lighthearted relationships meet. But it's the fierce emotional and spiritual questioning that makes the songwriting of this band stand apart from any typical bar band.

The band's name, Attakulla ("at-uh-KOO-lə"), is inspired from the name of the lodge submerged at the bottom of Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. Osborne spent several years living in the Carolinas before moving back to Indiana. The lodge itself was named for Chief Attakulla, a Cherokee Indian whose Oconee tribe inhabited the area.

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