Ed Helms-Led Lonesome Trio to Release Debut Album

Actor and comedian Ed Helms has joined with longtime friends Ian Riggs and Jacob Tilove to form the group Lonesome Trio, and the group will release its self-titled debut album in June.

Helms, Riggs and Tilove -- who met while attending Oberlin College in Ohio more than 20 years ago -- wrote and recorded 12 original tracks during a two-week stint at the Echo Mountain recording studio in Asheville, N.C. The project was engineered and co-produced by Sugar Hill Records' president of A&R, Gary Paczosa, with all three of the men lending vocals and instrumentation to the tracks.

“We decided right out of the gate that the three of us needed to do the whole thing," Helms tells Rolling Stone Country. "But we opened the door to lots of additional instruments and layers. The only rule was that we do it ourselves. I’m proud of that. It was more important than any crisp perfection in the execution, and I just love it. That’s our spirit. There is no sound on that album that didn't come from the three of us."

Helms plays guitar and banjo in the group, with Riggs playing bass and Tilove playing mandolin. Helms is most famous for his comedic roles in The Office and The Hangover -- during which he occasionally showed off his banjo-playing skills -- and he says that he struggled with wanting to give the album a funnier title, but he's glad that they decided on a self-titled release in the end.

“We talked through a lot of ideas of what to title it, and Jake felt strongly that it should be self-titled," he says. "I was on the fence; I lean toward irony and something cheeky. But I’m glad we settled on self-titled because it’s the most literal, descriptive and accurate name for the album. It’s who we are. It’s a little unrefined in places but it’s unapologetic."

The Lonesome Trio is set for release on June 16 via Sugar Hill Records and will be available for pre-order beginning May 12. Visit TheLonesomeTrio.com for more information and a list of upcoming tour dates.