xander james scoffield was born on an early monday morning, before the sun even came up. his mother was a freshly turned 16 and she’d done her best to hide her pregnancy, dropping out of school and hiding in her trailer where she lived with her four siblings and parents. it wasn’t easy, but shelley knew in her bones she’d have a little boy, and sure enough, she was right.
his father, 18 years old at the time, disappeared when he heard the news and to this day xander can count how many time he’s seen him with both hands and still has fingers left over. he saw plenty of men go in and out of his mother’s life and witnessed firsthand the heartaches they caused her.
shelley was resilient, however, and through every broken relationship she was able to rise up again. she never returned to school but managed to keep a roof over her children’s heads, becoming a strict and loving mother.
it was in grade school that xander met his best friend and future band mate, coleby. they were inseparable from the start, always looking out for each other while simultaneously getting each other into trouble. they were attached at the hip, sharing the same teachers, and became publicly known as a pair. you couldn't have one without the other. xander’s interest in music came the summer before he turned 15, working with coleby at a local bar that offered live music so they could save up money for a new car. besides listening to his mother’s old records, xander had limited experience when it came to the wide variety of music available. watching a live band cover johnny cash one weekend and the ramones the next, xander was overwhelmed with curiosity and eagerly visited the local record store to expand his music library. together, he and cole began to fumble around with instruments they could borrow, using the money they made in their summer jobs to buy a drum set, guitar, and amps to get their band started.
together, the sons of hazard played covers of their favorite bands, at the condition they also play for city and church events set by their parents. his mother was less than pleased, but found it hard to argue when he kept his promise and graduated high school.
1999 was the year they officially began writing music, actually performing their original songs rather than covers. their natural talent grew wide attention from locals, allowing them to be able to tour to nearby cities, expanding their fan base. their popularity grew steadily, known for their gritty, bluesy sound, the sons of hazard eventually reached as far as los angeles, playing to sold out venues. eventually, they caught record label attention, signing a record deal in 2002. at the label's request they added two more guys to their line up to help them record and with their live shows.
their first ep, holy roller novacaine was released early the following year and was rated 4/5 stars by rolling stone magazine.