Guide Note

Wilco is a Grammy Award-winning American Rock band that was born from the ashes of Alt. Country pioneers Uncle Tupelo. They received critical and commercial success with their 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and have since added the guitarist Nels Cline as a permanent member.

Fast Facts

1. Origin: Chicago, Illinois
2. Years Active: 1994-Present
3. Record Label: Warner Brothers Records
4. Named after the aviation term "Wilco", meaning "I Will Comply"
5. Grammy Awards: 2

Background

After singer Jay Farrar left Uncle Tupelo in 1993, the remaining members of the band, including singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt, went on to form Wilco. Continuing in a similar musical style to their previous band, Wilco released their debut album, A.M., in 1995.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

After releasing three more albums (including an album of Woody Guthrie covers in collaboration with Billy Bragg), the band ran into trouble when their next album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was rejected by their label for not being "commercially viable". After re-signing with Nonesuch Records (also a subsidiary of Time Warner), the band finally released the album which went on to be a critical and commercial success. The making of the album was detailed in the documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.

Current Members

• Jeff Tweedy - Guitar/Vocals
• John Stirratt - Bass
• Nels Cline - Guitar
• Glenn Kotche - Drummer
• Pat Sansone - Multi-instrumentalist
• Mikael Jorgensen - Keyboards