Two prominent innovators in alt-country, Jay Farrar—who launched both Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt—and Anders Parker of Varnaline, formed the project Gob Iron. Their shared fascination with atmospheric, guitar-driven sounds that absorb folk and country traditions while charting fresh sonic ground positioned the pair as natural allies. Their paths intersected in 2001 when Parker served as opener on Farrar’s acoustic tour. The musicians maintained contact afterward, leading Farrar to contribute guitar to Parker’s solo release Tell It to the Dust in 2004 and again to the 2005 EP The Wounded Astronaut.
During autumn 2004 Farrar invited Parker to participate in sessions for the first album by the reconstituted Son Volt lineup, Okemah and the Melody of Riot. Although Parker did not ultimately perform on that record, the two used the pre-production period to cut a series of distinctive renditions of traditional folk numbers, frequently revising lyrics or melodies to match their own artistic perspective while trading duties across multiple instruments.
In 2006 the duo resumed work on the folk project, naming it Gob Iron after British slang for the harmonica. Their first album under that moniker, Death Songs for the Living, drew chiefly from the 2004 recordings and appeared on Halloween 2006, after which the pair embarked on a supporting tour.
