[3] The band has cited influences such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Led Zeppelin,[4][5] and have toured in support of artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dwight Yoakam, Jamey Johnson, Cody Jinks, Miranda Lambert, and Blackberry Smoke.

He later worked as a Los Angeles-based musician before moving to Nashville in 2007 and joined Jamey Johnson's band.

[9] In the early days of The Steel Woods, Bayliss and Cope spent a lot of time fishing and writing what would eventually evolve into the bands first studio album, Straw in the Wind (2017) released on Thirty Tigers/Woods Music.

The album featured a guest vocal appearance by Lindi Ortega, and Brent Cobb also contributed as a songwriter.

[13] On March 28, 2024, Wes Bayliss announced that after the completion of a final United States tour throughout 2024, The Steel Woods would disband, citing personal reasons to end the band and cancelling a scheduled autumn 2024 UK and European tour with fellow Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke.