Judah and the Lion Biography

Judah & the Lion is a Nashville-based American alternative folk trio that has gained several top spots on Billboard’s Folk and Alternative charts.

Early Formation

Singer and guitarist Judah Akers, mandolinist Brian Macdonald and banjo player Nate Zuercher met each other through mutual friends. They decided to make a band and started playing together in 2011.

Career Beginnings

Starting out in 2012 with a Christian-themed EP called First Fruits, they blended old harmonies with bluegrass and folk. The following year, Judah & the Lion arrived with a sophomore EP, named Sweet Tennessee.

Sucess

It managed to break several Billboard charts like number 2 on Bluegrass chart and number 15 on the Folk chart. The 2014 follow-up, Kids These Days was Judah & the Lion’s debut album. It managed to get the 4th position spot on Billboard’s folk chart. Hip-hop was introduced in the mix with the arrival of their second album Folk Hop n’ Roll in 2016. The project was just as successful, as it reached number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in 2016. Their true breakthrough came with the reveal of the single Take It All Back. The track managed to get at the top of Billboard’s Alternative Songs. It stayed there for three consecutive weeks. In 2017, Judah & the Lion headed for a tour with Twenty One Pilots. They headlined their own US tour right afterward. Suit and Jacket was revealed as the single from the deluxe reissue of their latest album, Folk Hop n’ Roll: Going To Mars Collection. 

Photo credit: Billboard