While attending a club called the Verve, Austin met Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmann, with whom he and Johnston would form the Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) in 1998.

The project features the likes of Cody Dickinson, the Royal Horns, Todd Snider, Jennifer Hartswick, Brendan Bayliss and Sarah Siskind, as well as Jeff Austin Band members at the time Danny Barnes, Ross Martin and Eric Thorin.

[6] In March 2004, Austin released a full-length studio album with Chris Castino (The Big Wu) called Songs from the Tin Shed.

This album of wistful cowboy music features Nick Forster and included guest appearances by Darol Anger, Sally Van Meter and Noam Pikelny.

Joining them on tour was Cody Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars, Nick Forster from the bluegrass band Hot Rize and Boulder-based Eric Thorin.