The Forest Rangers is a roots rock band best known for songs from the TV series Sons of Anarchy. The music they created for the TV series was nominated 3 times for Emmy Awards, while it has won 2 HMMA awards and 1 OFTA television award. shaping the series and captivating audiences from 2008 until 2014.
The band was assembled and led by Bob Thiele Jr. (musician and music supervisor), Dave Way. Bob Thiele Jr., and Dave Kushner (guitarist with Velvet Revolver) chose the band's name while writing the show's theme song "This Life" inspired by a Plexi's song named "Forest Ranger". The Forest Rangers went on creating a sound that is consistent with the environment these characters live and breathe in, The Sound of Charming. While the Mayans M.C. listen to Latino music, we never hear anything but rock and country playing in the Charming clubhouse.
"If there was a house band playing at the Sons of Anarchy's clubhouse every Friday night, the Forest Rangers would be the band. The Rangers—heard almost every week on the popular FX drama Sons of Anarchy—wouldn't be out of place hanging at the Teller-Morrow clubhouse in Charming, California." Bob Thiele Jr.
The regular band members are Davey Faragher on bass guitar, John Philip Shenale (often mentioned as Phil Shenale) on keyboards, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Matt Chamberlain on drums, and Gia Ciambotti on background vocals. The band also collaborates with guest performers for vocals like Alison Mosshart, Amos Lee, Joshua James, The White Buffalo, Billy Valentine, Audra Mae, Justin Warfield, Battleme, Katey Sagal, and others.
Sonic style
Sons of Anarchy redefined how a TV series utilizes music as a powerful narrative element since music plays the role of a character. The soundtrack fits so well because the songs feel exactly what the characters themselves would choose to listen to. Following Kurt Sutter's vision, Thiele Jr. shaped the series' unique music style which consists of a jambalaya of original music and covers from established artists but mostly from indie artists and bands. A lot of the music from the show comes from not just biker bands that existed around the time the MCs became an iconic American entity but also blues bands.
Because of the production's small budget for music, Bob Thiele Jr. went to independents in order to include "big-ticket copyrights". As a music supervisor, he knew how essential it is for artists and writers to get songs on TV shows for their exposure to the audience, for example The White Buffalo gained significant career traction and an Emmy nomination from his collaboration with Bob Thiele Jr. and The Forest Rangers. Haunting covers of well known songs by voices you couldn't recognize when they first aired compliment the hero's tragic journey along with original songs and enhance the audience's emotional journey to catharsis.
"I brought Bob into the process early to really try to figure out how to create a sound for the show since I just knew that Sons Of Anarchy was a somewhat bleak world and we were going to be dealing with somewhat dark and potentially heavy subject matter. It was really Bob's idea to create a unique sound for the show. Going back to the origins of the subculture and when and how it hit the media, what we needed to do is hit on what the sound in the subculture is–sort of that 60's California sound, which sort of became our touchstone" Kurt Sutter
The music created by Bob Thiele Jr. and The Forest Rangers serves the story of SoA. Music doesn't underscores the scene but a lot of times it's leading it, forming a connection between the present and the past. The Hamlet theme of Sons of Anarchy (Clay kills "JT", John Teller, Jax's father and then marries Jax's mother, Gemma; Jax discovers the murder, is in anguish and begins his slow plotting of revenge) is underlinded by the theme song of the series which keeps reminding us that we "Got to look this life in the eye" (This Life by Curtis Stigers, Dave Kushner and Bob Thiele Jr.) because "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (Hamlet, Shakespeare).
"By the end of season one, it was like, 'Okay, we can really use music as a way to tell our story,' Music is a character on the show. Music is just one more aspect of storytelling. If I sat down and listened to all of the major montages, I'd probably leave five or six out because we do so many of them." Bob Thiele Jr.
While all songs server their purpose the montage set to a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" stands out for taking chances on a well known song. Bob Thiele Jr. started with a voice and an acoustic guitar but later a question was posed: "What if it's little kids singing it?" Three kids from The Center for Early Education sung a three-part harmony guided by their choral director Ellen who did the arrangement and helped building the haunting montage of the episode "Black Widower" by using a cover which combines rock, blues and traditional country with kids singing (Season 7, Episode 1).
Discography
The Forest Rangers are mostly known for their covers of well known songs and their original songs for the soundtrack of the FX TV series Sons of Anarchy. They have been successful and have continued to release songs as EPs, studio albums, and singles.
"The music, to a larger extent, had to come from a similar place than the characters, that there was an authenticity, a rawness... that you got a sense of authenticity from the characters and the music had to match that. That's why music resonates on so many levels, across age groups. It's something that people can go into and say "Wow, this is authentic." Bob Thiele Jr.
The Forest Rangers released 4 volumes of songs as soundtrack albums (Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1–4, Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 2, Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 3, Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 4 ), 3 EPs (The first five-song EP, entitled Sons of Anarchy: North Country – EP, was released on September 8, 2009, and featured the full version of the Emmy Award nominated theme song "This Life". A second five-song EP, entitled Sons of Anarchy: Shelter – EP, was released on November 24, 2009, while a third six-song EP, entitled Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone - EP, was released on November 23, 2010) and numerous singles.
The band released its debut album, Land Ho! (2015) after launching a successful PledgeMusic campaign for its recording. The album is co-produced by Bob Thiele Jr. and producer/engineer Dave Way. Besides the regular band members (Davey Faragher/bass, John Philip Shenale/keyboards, Greg Leisz/pedal steel guitar, Matt Chamberlain/drums, Gia Ciambotti/background vocals), guest vocals included Alison Mosshart, Amos Lee, Joshua James, The White Buffalo, Billy Valentine, Audra Mae and Justin Warfield. The 11 songs on Land Ho! span a range of genres from Americana to bluesy roots rock to epic soulful ballads.
In 2018, The Forest Rangers contributed to the Mayans M.C. soundtrack with the song "Black is Black".
Songs from Sons of Anarchy episodes
Year Song feat. Artist Sons of Anarchy episode 2008 Theme Song of Sons of Anarchy Curtis Stigers All Episodes 2008 Ending Theme Song of Sons of Anarchy - All Episodes 2008 "This Life" Curtis Stigers SE1E1 Pilot 2008 "Son of a Preacher Man" Katey Sagal SE1E2 Seeds 2008 "I'm Eighteen" - SE1E5 Giving Back 2008 "Blue Angel" Billy Valentine SE1E6 AK-51 2008 "Fortunate Son" Lyle Workman SE1E9 Hell Followed 2008 "Forever Young" Audra Mae SE1E12 The Sleep of Babies 2008 "John The Revelator" Curtis Stigers S1E13 The Revelator 2009 "The Places I Can't Afford To Go" Bob Neuwirth S2E10 Balm 2009 "Someday Never Comes" Billy Valentine S2E12 The Culling 2009 "Gimme Shelter" Paul Brady S2E13 Na Trioblóidí 2009 "No Milk Today" Joshua James SE3E1 So 2010 "Into Thy Hands" - SE3E2 Oiled 2010 "Bird on the Wire" Katey Sagal SE3E4 Home 2010 "Travelin' Band" Curtis Stigers SE3E7 Widering Eye 2010 "Miles Away" Battleme & Slash SE3E13 NS 2011 "What a Wonderful World" Alison Mosshart SE4E1 Out 2011 "John The Revelator" Curtis Stigers SE4E1 Out 2011 "Have At It" - SE4E1 Out 2011 "Anarquia" Olmeca SE4E7 Fruit for the Crows 2011 "Strange Fruit" Katey Sagal SE4E7 Fruit for the Crows 2011 "Dreaming of You" Sarah White SE4E8 Family Recipe 2011 "Time" Battleme SE4E10 Hands 2011 "The House of the Rising Sun" The White Buffalo SE4E14 To Be, Act 2 2012 "Higher Ground" Franky Perez SE5E1 Sovereign 2012 "The Unclouded Day" Audra Mae SE5E5 Orca Shrugged 2012 "The Passenger" Alison Mosshart SE5E7 Toad's Wild Ride 2012 "Lights" Battleme SE5E9 Andare Pescare 2012 "Blind Ride" Alison Mosshart SE5E10 Crucifixed 2012 "To Sir With Love" Katey Sagal SE5E13 J' ai Obtenu Cette 2013 "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" Billy Valentine SE6E1 Straw 2013 "As Tears Go By" Noah Gundersen SE6E2 One One Six 2013 "Running Blues" Jennifer O'Connor SE6E3 Poenitentia 2013 "Everyday People" Audra Mae, Billy Valentine, Katey Sagal, Curtis Stigers, Franky Perez SE6E3 Poenitentia 2013 "Sitting on Top of the World" Chris Goss SE6E4 Wolfsangel 2013 "John The Revelator" Curtis Stigers SE6E6 Salvage 2013 "Love Is My Religion" Franky Perez S6E7 Sweet and Vaded 2013 "For a Dancer" Katey Sagal SE6E10 Huang Wu 2013 "I See Through You (Free Your Mind)" Battleme SE6E11 Aon Rud Persanta 2013 "Day is Gone" Noah Gundersen SE6E13 A Mother's Work 2014 "Never My Love" Billy Valentine SE7E1 Black Widower 2014 "Bohemian Rhapsody" The White Buffalo, Billy Valentine, Franky Perez SE7E1 Black Widower 2014 "Baby, Please Don't Go" Franky Perez SE7E2 Toil and Till 2014 "Baby, Please Don't Go" Franky Perez SE7E4 Poor Little Lamps 2014 "The Age Of The Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" Joshua James SE7E5 Some Strange Eruption 2014 "Gotta Love" Justin Warfield SE7E6 Smoke 'em if You Got 'em 2014 "Greensleeves" Katey Sagal SE7E7 Greensleeves 2014 "All Along the Watchtower" Gabe Witcher SE7E8 The Separation of Crows 2014 "All Along the Watchtower" Billy Valentine SE7E8 The Separation of Crows 2014 "Boots of Spanish Leather" Amos Lee SE7E10 Faith and Despondency 2014 "Trying to Believe You're Mine" Alison Mosshart SE7E10 Faith and Despondency 2014 "Blessed Assurance" - SE7E11 Suits of Woe 2014 "Greensleeves" Katey Sagal SE7E12 Red Rose 2014 "Come Join The Murder" The White Buffalo SE7E13 Papa's Goods
Albums
Year Album 2011 Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1–4 2012 Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 2 2013 Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 3 2013 Covered, Katey Sagal 2015 Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 4 2015 Land Ho!
EPs
Year EP 2009 Sons of Anarchy: North Country 2009 Sons of Anarchy: Shelter 2010 Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone
Singles
Year Single 2008 "Forever Young" - Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers 2009 "The Place I can't Afford to Go" - Bob Neuwirth & The Forest Rangers 2010 "Travelin' Band" - Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers 2010 "No Milk Today" - Joshua James & The Forest Rangers 2010 "Shadows and Dreams" - Kim Ferron & The Forest Rangers 2011 "Strange Fruit" - Katey Sagal, The Forest Rangers, Blake Mills 2011 What a Wonderful World - Alison Mosshart & The Forest Rangers 2012 "SOA The Unclouded Day" - Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers 2014 "Come Join the Murder" - The Forest Rangers feat. John Doe 2018 "Christmas Song" - Billy Valentine, Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers 2019 "Black is Black" - Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers, Mayans M.C. 2020 "Shining Star"
Music videos "Trying to Believe" (2015) is from Bob Thiele Jr. and The Forest Rangers' album Land Ho!. It was shot in Los Angeles by director Kenneth Cappelo and features Sons of Anarchy cast members Mark Boone, Jr. (Bobby Munson), Niko Nicotera (Ratboy), Dayton Callie (Wayne Unser), Michael Ornstein (Chucky) alongside Bob Thiele, Jr. and Alison Mosshart. "I'm Alive" (2015). Lyric video directed by Shelby Duncan.
Tours