Combining elements of rock, folk, country and Celtic, The Getaway Drivers were founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Bob Manor, whose 2005 song \"The Sweetness\" won a Madison Area Music Award for Americana Song of the Year. Manor has since recruited some of the area\'s finest musicians, including Celtic singer and songwriter Sheila Shigley of the vocal group, Navan, bassist Tom Broeske (formerly of the Spanic Boys), guitarist Dan Kennedy, drummer Gail Campbell, cellist Steve Pingry and keyboard player Barbara Chusid. Shigley covers mandolin and fiddle, and Manor plays acoustic guitar. The Getaway Drivers have developed a solid local following and have been nominated for multiple MAMA awards.

The band\'s influences include Wilco, Steve Earle, Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Fairport Convention.

The Getaway Drivers have performed at numerous regional and localvenues and festivals, and in 2010 were chosen by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to both open and share the stage with them at Madison\'s Overture for the Arts Center.

The Getaway Drivers can be heard on Pandora.com and over 40,000 TouchTune jukeboxes countrywide. Their most recent EP, Black Dog Days, is was released in the summer of 2011; a new EP is in production.

Dave Ramont was born in IL with a song stuck in his head. The doctors couldn\'t get it out. Later he started writing songs and playing his \"twang-slop\" around the Chicago regions- solo, duo, full band. He\'s since put out 4 CDs -most recently the double record \"TAW\"- and played throughout the Midwest and nationally too.

He also co-founded the swamp-billy band Dick Smith, who released 3 CDs. Their 2nd record \"Smoke Damage\" was one of Acoustic Guitar Magazine\'s top 3 indy releases of 2002.

\"Differentiating oneself in the burgeoning field of alternative country artists is a tricky proposition these days, but Dave Ramont stands tall in the crowd\"
-Performing Songwriter Magazine

\"Ramont\'s 3rd album [Scrawny] is the finest collection of songwriting I\'ve heard in a long time.\"
-Mark Guarino, Chicago Daily Herald

\"The world could always use another quality singer/songwriter with meaty lyrics, gritty vocals and a tight back up band\"
-Austin Chronicle