The Apache Relay takes more long car rides than most bands. But only a portion of their car time is dedicated to their touring schedule — the rest is something like driving in the middle of the night from Nashville to Alabama and back, just to listen to a new record 12 consecutive times. Despite their wagon's sketchy brakes, this happens a lot. It's where the indie-roots band discovered a shared love for the timelessness of Motown records, the weight of Springsteen's Nebraska, the textures of modern rock bands, as well as the intensity of really skilled acoustic players.

It's also where they cemented their bond, spontaneously forming the band after just one gig at Belmont University. Now, just over two years later, The Apache Relay has released their second album, American Nomad, a modern and young roots-rock collection produced by Nielson Hubbard.