The Hackensaw Boys first began playing their joyful blend of old-time and bluegrass-tinged string-band music on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia in the autumn of 1999. Far from limiting themselves to the old-time canon, however, the Hackensaws have been first and foremost a band of songwriters. Their music, while drawing upon the spirit of the mountains, is sophisticated and informed by the best elements of punk rock and classic country music.