If you want to understand why modern country sounds the way it does, you have to look at a group of kids in 1966 who had no business playing pedal steel. They were called the International Submarine Band. Most people haven't heard of them. That's okay. But if you’ve ever listened to The Eagles, Wilco, or even some of the more "outlaw" stuff on the radio today, you’re listening to their ghost.
They weren't stars. Not even close.
In the mid-sixties, the "International Submarine Band" was a weird name for a weird group. They were led by a kid named Gram Parsons. He was a Harvard dropout from a wealthy, tragic Southern family who decided that rock and roll and country music belonged together. At the time, that was a radical, almost offensive idea. If you were a hippie, you hated "redneck" music. If you were a country fan in Nashville, you hated long-haired "freaks."
The International Submarine Band didn't care about the rules.
How a Harvard Dropout Invented a Genre
Gram Parsons is the center of this orbit. He met John Nuese, a guitar player who actually knew a thing or two about country licks, and they formed the International Submarine Band while living in the Northeast. It wasn't exactly a roaring success. They moved to New York, then to Los Angeles, chasing a sound that didn't really have a name yet.
Some people call it "Cosmic American Music."
Parsons didn't want to just mock country music. A lot of rock bands at the time were doing "tongue-in-cheek" country songs as a joke. Parsons was dead serious. He loved George Jones. He loved Buck Owens. He saw the soul in the lyrics about heartbreak, drinking, and God. He wanted to take that sincerity and plug it into a loud amplifier.
Their first and only real album, Safe at Home, is a strange relic. It was recorded in late 1967 but didn't come out until mid-1968. By the time it hit the shelves, the International Submarine Band was basically already over. But that record? It’s the blueprint.
The LPI Record That Changed Everything
When you listen to Safe at Home, you aren't hearing a polished masterpiece. It’s raw. You’ve got covers of Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard sitting right next to Parsons’ original songs like "Luxury Liner" and "Do You Know How It Feels to Be Lonesome."
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It sounds like a band figuring it out in real-time.
One of the most interesting things about the International Submarine Band was their use of the pedal steel guitar. In 1967, seeing a rock-adjacent band with a pedal steel was like seeing a spaceship in a western. It didn't fit the "Summer of Love" aesthetic. Jaydee Maness played the steel on that record, and his work gave the tracks a legitimate Nashville backbone that most rock bands couldn't fake.
But there was a problem. A big one.
While they were finishing the album, Parsons got an offer he couldn't refuse. Chris Hillman from The Byrds needed a piano player. Parsons joined The Byrds, convinced them to record Sweetheart of the Rodeo in Nashville, and suddenly the International Submarine Band was a footnote. LHI Records, the label run by Lee Hazlewood, was furious. They even tried to block Parsons’ vocals from appearing on the Byrds' album because he was still under contract with the Submarine Band.
Why Nobody Bought the Record (At First)
Timing is everything in the music business. The International Submarine Band had terrible timing.
By the time Safe at Home was released, Gram Parsons was already becoming a "star" in the underground scene with The Byrds. The Submarine Band's album was buried. It didn't have a hit single. It didn't have a tour to support it. It just sat there.
Also, the industry didn't know where to put it in the record stores.
- Was it rock? Too "twangy."
- Was it country? Too "long-haired."
- Was it folk? Too loud.
It was a record without a home.
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But here’s the thing: musicians were listening. People like Bernie Leadon (who later founded The Eagles) and Emmylou Harris were paying attention. They saw that Parsons had found a way to bridge the gap between the counterculture and the Grand Ole Opry. The International Submarine Band proved that you could be young, rebellious, and still respect the tradition of a Hank Williams song.
The Messy Reality of the Band's Lineup
The lineup was a revolving door. That's the reality of most 60s garage bands, but this one was especially chaotic. You had guys like Ian Dunlop and Mickey Gauvin who were there for the early days in New York and the "Supper Club" era. They were basically playing soul and R&B before Parsons pivoted the whole ship toward country.
Imagine being in a band where the leader suddenly decides you're not playing Rolling Stones covers anymore—you're playing George Jones.
That friction is actually why the early recordings have a bit of a "nervous" energy. It wasn't a group of seasoned Nashville session pros. It was a bunch of guys trying to keep up with Parsons’ vision. When they finally got to the Safe at Home sessions, the lineup had shifted again. Bob Buchanan and Jon Corneal came in. Corneal was a drummer who actually understood the country swing, which was rare for a rock drummer back then.
Misconceptions About the "First" Country Rock Band
People love to argue about who was "first."
Was it The Byrds? Was it Bob Dylan with Nashville Skyline? Was it Buffalo Springfield?
Technically, the International Submarine Band beat most of them to the punch. While Dylan was recording folk-rock, Parsons was already pushing for a pure country sound. However, because they didn't have the fame of Dylan or The Byrds, they often get skipped in the history books.
It's also a mistake to think they were "traditional."
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If you listen closely to the International Submarine Band, they weren't just copying Nashville. They were bringing a certain attitude—a looseness—that the Nashville "A-Team" session players didn't have. They were making country music for people who liked the psychedelic vibes of the Strip in LA. They were the bridge.
What Happened After the Submarine Sank?
The end of the band was predictably messy. Parsons went on to The Byrds, then formed The Flying Burrito Brothers. He became a legend, a martyr of the genre, dying young in Joshua Tree under circumstances that are still the stuff of rock-and-roll lore.
But what about the others?
John Nuese, the guy who arguably pushed Parsons toward country more than anyone else, didn't become a household name. He remained a respected musician, but the spotlight stayed on Gram. The record label, LHI, eventually folded. The masters for Safe at Home were passed around, re-released, and eventually recognized for what they were: the "Ur-text" of country rock.
How to Hear the Influence Today
You can hear the International Submarine Band every time you turn on a "roots rock" playlist.
The aesthetic of the band—the Nudie suits, the honest lyrics, the blend of acoustic and electric—became the standard for the entire 1970s Southern California sound. Without Safe at Home, you don't get Hotel California. You don't get the "No Depression" movement of the 90s.
If you're a songwriter, the International Submarine Band is a lesson in conviction. They played what they loved even when it made them outcasts in their own scene.
Real Steps to Explore the Submarine Sound
To actually understand this band, don't just read about them. You have to hear the progression of the sound. It’s a specific journey.
- Start with "Luxury Liner" from the Safe at Home album. Compare it to the later version Gram did with Emmylou Harris. You can hear the raw, frantic energy of the original band versus the polished brilliance of his later work.
- Look for the "Early Years" compilations. These include the 1966 singles like "The Sum Up." It sounds almost like British Invasion pop, which shows you just how far they traveled to get to their country sound.
- Listen to the pedal steel. Specifically, focus on how Jaydee Maness uses the instrument to "sing" alongside Parsons. This was the moment the steel guitar became a "rock" instrument.
- Check out the lyrics to "Do You Know How It Feels to Be Lonesome." It's one of the first truly great songs Parsons ever wrote. It captures that "Cosmic American" vibe perfectly—sad, beautiful, and timeless.
The International Submarine Band was a short-lived, commercially failed experiment that changed the trajectory of American music. They didn't sell many records in 1968, but it seems like everyone who bought one started a band. That’s the real legacy of the Submarine. It wasn't about the charts; it was about the shift in the wind.