Llama was an American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

band from

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

. Formed by high school friends Ben Brown, Neil Mason, Ben Morton, and Matthew Stewart, they were discovered while playing a concert in a local pizzeria. Then called the Dahlia Llamas, they were signed to a contract with

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

and changed their name to Llama while the three original members of the band were still in high school.

History

The band's first album, '' Close to the Silence'', was recorded over two years as the members completed high school. Upon its release in 2001 it garnered critical comparisons to the

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

. Llama spent the majority of 2001 touring with acts as varied as

Béla Fleck Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...

O.A.R. O.A.R. (short for Of A Revolution) is an American rock band, founded in 1996 in Rockville, Maryland. The band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, bassist Benj Gershman, saxophonist/guitar ...

, and Blueground Undergrass. Their second release, the EP '' The World from Here'', was released in 2002. Llama broke up in 2003, but the former members are still active in the Nashville music scene. Neil Mason and Ben Brown combined with former members of The Kicks to form the band Bang Bang Bang (later renamed American Bang and signed to

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

). Ben Morton now plays in Nashville-based rock band Cougar Fight; Ian Fitchuk has formed a partnership with fellow musician Justin Loucks, and Adam Binder has toured with Eliot Morris and is currently playing bass in Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jeremy Lister's band. Neil Mason along with other members of American Bang formed

The Cadillac Three The Cadillac Three, originally known as The Cadillac Black, is an American rock band consisting of Jaren Johnston (lead vocals, guitar), Kelby Ray (lap steel guitar, bass guitar, vocals), and Neil Mason (drums, vocals). All three members were o ...

Discography

Albums

*'' Close to the Silence'', 2001,

EPs

*'' The World from Here'', 2002,

Additional Links

''The Pitch'' Interview with Ben Morton, 2001''The Daily Gamecock'' Interview with the band, 2001
{{DEFAULTSORT:Llama Jam bands Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee MCA Records artists Musical groups established in 1996 Musical groups disestablished in 2003 Alternative rock groups from Tennessee