Pat McGee Band has returned to its roots with a major coast-to-coast fall tour to promote their new independent album "These Days (The Virginia Sessions)." Over the last 11 years, the band typically performed in around 250 shows a year--selling out many top venues and building a strong nationwide fan base. The band, a five-time veteran of the highly successful "Rock Boat" cruise, will perform on "Rock Boat" again in January 2008 and also in February on Cayamo Concert Cruise featuring many of today's best singer-songwriters, including Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt and more. The band suffered a tragic loss last fall when drummer Chris Williams died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart failure at the age of 38. Williams had been the band’s drummer from the beginning days of PMB. The loss of Chris lit a fire under the group to continue on in full force, and, with Pat, it has inspired a whole new batch of songs for “These Days.” The new songs range from the moving ballads “End of October” and “Come Back Home,” in memory of Chris, to some of the most upbeat songs the band has recorded. PMB’s trademark rich harmonies are front and center on the new record. Former band members Al Walsh and Todd Wright joined the band for some of the tunes, as did sax great Michael Ghegan, who appears often with the band. Other guest artists on the album include Mike Meadows on cello, Nate Brown on drums and Hugh McGee on vocals. After seven years releasing records with major labels, PMB has returned to its independent roots. This “independent” idea started when Pat entered the studio this January with old friend and former band mate, Todd Wright to start recording demos of the new songs. Todd and Pat used to share the bill in DC-area clubs back in the mid-90's and have come full circle with Todd producing “These Days.” While putting together the demos, the band realized that they wanted to do the entire project independently so PMB parted ways with their record company. While at Longwood College in Farmville, VA, Pat produced his solo debut album “from the wood.” After college in 1995, he formed Pat McGee Band, which played often in the Richmond and DC-areas and up and down the East coast before becoming a national headline band playing shows at the premier 1000-2000 seat venues in the U.S. and Canada. The band has sold out shows at many of the top venues in the country including, several shows at Wolf Trap, their hometown amphitheater. The band released two independent albums, “Revel,” and a live album “General Admission” before signing with Warner Brothers where they released two albums “Shine” and “Save Me.” Last December 2006, Kirtland Records released the DVD/CD called “Vintage Stages Live” recorded at the Barns at Wolf Trap and at Workplay Theatre in Birmingham, AL. Early on the band allowed fans to tape live shows and encouraged them to trade those recordings. A fan-sponsored group “Identities,” named after one of Pat’s first songs, helped spread the music far and wide in the early years. Many of those original Identities remain the band’s most loyal fans. PMB played only a few shows while recording the new album, but they include some of the band’s most memorable events. Earlier this year, PMB spent time at the Pentagon visiting with US military members who are recuperating from war injuries at Walter Reed Hospital. PMB has also been involved in benefits for events for Virginia Tech memorial funds in the DC-area and New York City. Pat performed on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” during the summer and has been seen on many ESPN events. Pat and the band sang the National Anthem at the Washington Nationals’ game and at a Chicago White Sox game this summer and have performed the Anthem at many major league sports events across the country, including the Redskins-Falcons game last December, which for Pat, a long-time Redskins fan, was one of the highlights of his career. The band has performed for PGA golfer John Daly’s charity events. The band has been on the bill with major artists, such as Allman Brothers Band, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, Counting Crows, Blues Traveler, and James Taylor. "These Days (The Virginia Sessions)" is available online in both hard copy and digitally at www.patmcgeeband.com and other online outlets and in select stores.