James Tutson and the Rollback is a modern rhythm and blues/soul band from Iowa City, Iowa. The group was formed in 2016 when singer-songwriter James Tutson assembled a 4-piece backing band to rehearse and record his second full-length album, On Hope (2017). After playing a handful of local shows and discovering a tight, crowd-pleasing sound on stage, Tutson christened his new ensemble “the Rollback,” and a band was born. 

Tutson gradually shed his folk-rock songwriter beginnings and returned to his roots—soul and gospel—as he put his heartfelt lyrics to music that critics in 2018 described as “roughed-up soul.” In 2019, JTRB headed to Nashville and recorded its second album, Make You Free. Where On Hope was a collection of Tutson’s compositions accompanied by “the Rollback,” Make You Free represents the band’s collaborative songwriting effort and showcases a more mature, polished r&b and gospel sound. Indeed, Tutson’s lyrics probe the hopes and anxieties of fatherhood, the pursuit of goodness, and the freeing power of love. As Tutson and the Rollback sing in the album’s opening track, “Love should make you free.” 

Members: James Tutson (vocals, guitar), Tyler Carrington (drums, vocals), Heath Hospodarsky (guitar), Erik Lehmann (keyboard, vocals), Jesse Upah (keyboard, vocals) and Dave Livingston (bass).