The John Butler Trio are an Australian roots/rock band led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler, an APRA and ARIA-award-winning musician. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith on bass. By 2009, the trio consisted of Butler with Byron Luiters on bass and Nicky Bomba on drums and percussion, the latter being replaced by Grant Gerathy in 2013. The band's second studio album, Three (2001) reached the top 30 in the Australian album charts and achieved platinum sales.
Early career
The John Butler Trio is fronted by John Butler on vocals and guitars. He started his career as a busker in Fremantle, Western Australia and released a self-recorded cassette, Searching for Heritage in 1996. Gavin Shoesmith on double bass and bass guitar founded Katamaran in Darwin with Mark Hoffman on didgeridoo and Grant Smith on percussion. With Butler, Shoesmith and Jason McGann on drums, John Butler Trio was formed in Fremantle in 1998 and independently released the John Butler album in December. It was produced by Butler and included re-recorded versions of two tracks from his Searching for Heritage.  The trio toured throughout Western Australia in 1999, then The Waifs invited Butler to perform solo on their Australian tour - he also performed his own gigs. The John Butler Trio then launched their own tour where Butler met his future wife Danielle Caruana in Broome.  The John Butler Trio released the four-track extended play, JBT, in April 2000 with songs short enough to win radio play. It was produced by Butler and Shaun O'Callaghan. Radio station Triple J chose the track "Pickapart" to put on high rotation. The band began to develop a wider reputation with a performance at the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Byron Bay in 2000. Butler recalled that his first gig had about 50 people, the second gig started the same way when "it absolutely pissed with rain and 3000 people ran into our tent. And the show just went berserk. It was like a suffocated fire - you lift the lid and it explodes". The John Butler Trio has become a regular artist at the annual event.

Q: who founded trio?
A: The John Butler Trio is fronted by John Butler on vocals and guitars.

Q: who else was part of the trio?
A: With Butler, Shoesmith and Jason McGann on drums, John Butler Trio was formed in

Q: when was it formed
A: 1998

Q: what was their first album?
A: Searching for Heritage

Q: was searching for heritage successful?
A: unknown
did they tour?
The trio toured throughout Western Australia in 1999,
The trio toured throughout Western Australia in 1999,