As a teenager, Jeb Loy Nichols made his way from Austin, TX, to New York, NY. In the Big Apple, punk rock took root, and continued to be an influence even after Nichols had moved to London. In the U.K., the sounds of dub and lovers rock mixed with his already colorful palette, and Nichols collaborated with fellow genre chameleons like Neneh Cherry and the Slits' Ari Up. In 1990, Nichols formed the Fellow Travellers with vocalist Loraine Morley, issuing No Easy Way on the Ohio indie Okra. A spicy blend of country, folk, and reggae, the album was the first real evidence of Nichols' burgeoning talent as an artist who was as at home on the range as he was on the streets of the city. In 1992, the Fellow Travellers released their sophomore effort, Just a Visitor, and Things and Time a year later. Both appeared on Okra, and channeled Cash as frequently as they did Gershwin or Horace Andy.