In 2013, the band announced a return as simply The Linemen, and their fifth full-length album, Close the Place Down, was released on the SAM Records label in October 2016.
The band's name is a nod to the Jimmy Webb song “Wichita Lineman.” [2] Kevin Johnson and the Linemen formed in 1991 with Eric Brace, Antoine Sanfuentes, and Bill Williams.
The Linemen's third album, Parole Music,[5][6] was produced by Boston singer-songwriter Charlie Chesterman, formerly of Scruffy the Cat,[7] and featured guest vocalist Barbara Brousal.
[9] In 2013 the band reformed under the name The Linemen, adding Jonathan Gregg as a second lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and pedal steel guitarist, along with band alumni Scott McKnight (bass), Bill Williams (guitar, slide guitar, mandolin), and Antoine Sanfuentes (drums).
Gregg credits his Gretsch 6120 with his sonic approach to this album and how the songs evolved, while his influences encompass roots styles such as bluegrass and country as well as rock legends such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Elvis Costello.