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Years before forming one of Nashville's most genre-bending bands, the members of Judah & the Lion grew up in separate corners of the U.S., listening to every type of music that came their way. They lovedit all: the twang of folk, the beat of hip-hop, the drive of rock & roll, the punch of pop. Later, after college brought the musicians to Tennessee, it only made sense to combine those different backgrounds — and different sounds — together.
With their second full-length album Folk Hop N Roll, the guys shine a light on the place where their influences overlap. It's a wide-ranging sound, with fuzz bass, hip-hop percussion, distorted banjo riffs,and super-sized melodies all stirred into the same mixing pot.
"There's no boundaries," says front man Judah Akers, who shares the band's lineup with mandolin player Brian Macdonald and banjo wiz Nate Zuercher. "We wanted to make something raw, something with attitude. We all grew up loving these hip-hop beats, so why not make an album that has the grit of Run DMC or Beastie Boys, along with all the folk instruments that we play?"
Like Kids These Days — the band's debut record, which climbed to number four on the Billboard Folk Chart and number two on the genre-wide Heatseekers chart after its release in September 2014 — Folk Hop N Roll was produced by award winner Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton). Cobb captured the band's new songs in a series of quick, inspired takes, aiming for performances that sounded real and raw rather than polished and perfect. Everything was done in just two weeks. The goal was to fuel the album with the same electricity that fills the band's live show.
An independent band whose success has arrived not on the back of some big budget major label, but through the band's own touring, Judah & the Lion have built a large, loyal fanbase on the road. They played 150 shows in 2015 alone, stretching their gigs all across America and Scandinavia. Along the way, they shared stages with artists like Mat Kearney, Drew Holcomb, and Ben Rector. That sort of drive — the commitment to chasing down their dreams, one encore at a time — also fuels the lyrics that appear on Folk Hop N Roll, a record whose songs spin stories of struggle, triumph, and all points in between.
"This record was made for the live show," Akers promises. "Our shows are all about the experience we share with our fans. We know that people work everyday jobs or go to school, and they're dealing with life, and yet they're still choosing to spend the night with us. We don't take that lightly. We give them an experience. We throw an absolute rage. And all the songs were made with that in mind. They're fun, carefree, and youthful, and we live our lives that way, too."
Anthemic and wildly creative, Folk Hop N Roll is unlike anything else in modern music. It's a rulebreaking record, with Judah & the Lion creating a sound that belongs entirely to them. From the earthy stomp of roots music to the bold bounce of hip-hop, Folk Hop N Roll casts a wide net, proof that Judah & the Lion — who are now four releases into their career — have developed quite the roar.
Judah & the Lion followed the release of Folk Hop N Roll with a massive tour spanning most of 2016. Late in the year, after being named iHeartRadio’s Artist on the Verge, their single “Take It All Back” began to climb the ranks at Alternative Radio, eventually culminating in a three week stint in the #1 spot to kick off 2017. In tandem with their first #1 song, Judah & the Lion also kicked off a tour as support for Twenty One Pilots which brought them to arenas across the US, such as the Old National Centre. Inspired by how their genre-blending style was connecting with fans, Judah & the Lion headed back into the studio in early 2017 to record 4 brand new songs dubbed the Going to Mars Collection, which, when combined with Folk Hop N Roll, make up Folk Hop N Roll Deluxe. In support of the Deluxe Edition, the band embarked on The Going to Mars Tour throughout much of 2017 and beyond– taking them on their biggest headlining run to date. In between, they hit the road for select dates with Kaleo and hit amphitheaters this summer with Jimmy Eat World and Incubus.
The rebooted version of the album includes the band’s follow up to “Take It All Back,” the equally high energy and anthemic “Suit and Jacket” which debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September and hit Top 5 at Alternative Radio. With no intention of slowing down anytime soon, Judah & the Lion is set to embark on yet another massive headlining run in 2018 with their new single “Going to Mars” hitting airwaves soon.
Man, have I missed these guys! Amazing show, as always - brought back so many memories and such positive vibes, I loved every second. Thank you for coming to Philly, Judah and the Lion. We love you! I will forever be one of your biggest fans.
Fantastic show. Amazing energy. Great songs. Can't wait to do it again!
The venue is great and Judah and the Lion were absolutely amazing!!!! Love love love them!
The band is putting everything out there every single time. Love Judah and the lion
Judah and the Lion is an amazing band to see live and the sound quality at XL live was superb. My only issue is this was my daughter's first concert so I asked for mailed tickets. My error in realizing the day before they were never received. Ticketmaster said they would be at Will Call and they were not. Thankfully we were admitted by the lovely staff at XL Live with my email receipt of the tickets.
Judah and the Lion put on an excellent show. I brought my 14 year old daughter and this was her first concert experience. We were pretty close as this was an intimate setting. The band was lively, on point, talked to the crowd, came out to the floor, and interacted with us. They really did a nice job of playing their music. They broke out some old stuff and a lot of new stuff. They played their hit song and that got the crowd going. (the crowd was going all night as they brought the energy!) Thanks for an outstanding show. My daughter even commented that she wanted to go back and see them again next time they are around the Philadelphia area. That is great feedback.
As a person only somewhat familiar to the music this concert was just OK. The extra noise from forcing all the instruments to try to play at once left most of the songs indistinguishable from one another as the mandalin and vocals were hard to hear. If I was very familiar with the music this would bother me. This is more of a band that gains fans from a CD recording than a live show.
They put on an absolutely amazing show! I danced so hard my Apple Watch recorded a 60 minute running workout. They are so fun and upbeat. I can’t wait to see them again!
Judah and the Lion came back from the pandemic with so much energy and fun vibes that the entire night was fantastic at the Fillmore in Downtown Silver Spring. National Parks came out to kill it and they did. I truly enjoyed this concert experience cause you could see it meant a great deal to both bands that so many people came out and were signing along to all the songs. I will always see Judah and Lion whenever I get the change.
First of all, I’d like to say that it was such a wonderful experience seeing JATL at The House of Blues in Boston because of the intimate setting and didn’t hurt that we had wonderful box seats! Judah Akers is a wonderful performer and really engaged the audience, going into the crowd for an amazing experience for the floor section. Judah is fun to watch and his voice is out of this world good. The band is very tight. My husband and I are in our 60’s but really enjoy the music of our younger generation, our 30 year old was jealous!! I would go see them again if they came here tomorrow! The new album is excellent and they didn’t disappoint by playing some older hits too. My husband loves rap and I love metal and the harder alternative. This was a change for us and we both agree it was the best concert we’ve ever been to. I have to mention the opening band, The National Parks, they were just as good as JATL!! Honestly! Wonderful, happy, uplifting and extremely talented and also quite engaging with the crowd. Excellent vocals and the female violinist, who is married to the lead singer, was out of this world fantastic. She could play perfectly while jumping and dancing all around! Very talented band and I’m a definite follower of their band now. I had to come home and research them. JATL picked the most amazing band to open up the show, I hope they continue to play together. JATL is one of my favorite bands and did not disappoint. I’d like to give a shout out to Ticketmaster also. Closer box seats had opened up and when I called, the representative was so kind and patient and wanted to stay with me on the phone until everything was completed. Thank you Ticketmaster!!
Such an awesome set. I danced my butt off the whole time. So glad I finally made it to a headlining show it was worth it!
High energy. Super talented. Will definitely keep and eye out for their return. Fillmore is a great venue.
Great time at the Judah & the Lion concert! We got the VIP package and we’re able to hang with the band for sound check and a Q&A. It was amazing how they made us feel like we were all just hanging out at someone’s house. The show itself was amazing. Some very touching moments and inspirational words given by Judah! Can’t wait to see them in concert again!
they are such an incredible band. they’ve got the most amazing stage presence and it feels like such an intimate experience. they played all the bangers and judah even came into the crowd to mosh with us at one point. 100% recommend and i’m definitely going to be hitting up another concert next time they roll through my city.
Judah & the Lion is probably one of the best bands out there. The show was incredible!! I am having withdrawals and wish I could party with them every night. Cannot wait for the next tour!! This is your sign to see them live!!
Judah and the Lion were great......fantastic musicians, great set, such energy, and interaction with the crowd. The venue (Fillmore CLT) needs an upgrade.....too many pillars/obstacles, obstructing the view of the band. And only one way in/out. And what is with the TV's, further obstructing our view? I do not want to see commercials for Liquid Death water, Truly, and a Taylor Swift cover band, while I am trying to watch and enjoy Judah and the Lion!
I’m so glad I didn’t miss this show! If you like the music of Judah & the Lion, you have to see them live. It is a completely different experience. Where their recorded albums are a little more on the refined and chill side, their live performance absolutely rocks with edginess and energy that brings the house down. The Coca Cola Roxy is a great small venue with good acoustics and a fun vibe. Wow! Certainly one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen!
The band, the venue, and the experience!! Wow!! Perfect chemistry for an awesome time!
Judah and the Lion and The National Parks were both fantastic. Enjoyed both bands. We’ve seen Judah and the Lion multiple times - first time for The National Parks. Even though the venue, Coca Cola Roxy, has many quality features, I’m not sure if we’ll go to another event there. Certainly won’t purchase one of the side balcony seats. View was terrible. Very bad design.
My daughter and I are huge J&TL fans. This is my fourth show and her third show. To cut to the chase, the show was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! The band performs with incredible energy and puts every ounce of their physical ability into the performance. To use a sports analogy, they "leave everything on the field." Their music rocks, and they are so positive and appreciative of their fans. I can't believe this band hasn't blown up MUCH bigger yet. Seeing them at a small venue is an OUTSTANDING experience.
