“Driftwood Soldier Address Society’s Evils On ‘Banker and a Liar’ Cover” Billboard premiered Driftwood Soldier’s sharp topical single off their 2019 album ‘Stay Ahead of the Wolf’ where they discussed how they came to learn the Reigning Sound song and why it’s an important one to continue playing. 

“…thoughtfully pissed-off songwriters taking on the quietly devastating folk tale of John Henry. Reminiscent of acts like Brown Bird, Whiskey Shivers, and the The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band…”

“In the blurry demimonde world of back alley Jazz, the soundtrack is stacked with Dark Side Pop from artists like Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Rickie Lee Jones, Robert Smith, Siouxsie & The Banshees, and Nick Cave”

“On Marietta in particular, Owen Lyman-Schmidt’s voice is gruff and gristled. Deep and crackling like a raging fire inside a wood stove in the depths of January. On the inside, the combustion is all power, a bit of danger and turmoil, but there is a certain comfort in the deep, a warmth that finds its way out into the room and wraps itself around you.”

“Listen to the stories yourself, then listen to them again… and then listen to them AGAIN. This album is truly a beautiful experience. It is personal but also makes you feel like you’re part of the bigger picture (for better or for worse).”

“Finding an identity in the storytelling aspect of traditional folk, Driftwood Solider infuse everything from the blues to the punk music of their adolescence, expressed through Lyman-Schmidt’s mandolin and Szafranski’s melodic bass stylings and junk percussion—a suitcase, a license plate snare, and “the Jangler,” a bottle cap tambourine contraption. Their instrumentation combined with Lyman-Schmidt’s Nick Cave-esque jarring baritone growls produce a uniquely rootsy sound.”

“Howlin’ Wolf singing the songs of Lyle Lovett backed by the Blind Boys of Alabama…Driftwood Soldier may invoke the past but they drag it into the future.”

“Driftwood Soldier is Root Down In The Shadow’s new folky favorite on the Philly scene. Listening to Scavenger’s Joy you’re immediately drawn to a mix of Owen Lyman-Schmidt’s funky mandolin with Bobby Szafranski’s slick bass.  Next take Owen’s cerebral lyrics, integrated with an intense yet mellow delivery much like Neil Fallon of Clutch and David Lamb of Brown Bird, and your hooked. If you haven’t checked out, Scavenger’s Joy, what are  you waiting for?”