The Jayhawks are an American alt-country and rock band that began in the mid-1980s. On hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the band reunited and, in September 2011, released a new album, "Mockingbird Time". Led by the gifted songwriting, impeccable playing, and honeyed harmonies of vocalists/guitarists Gary Louris and Mark Olson, the Jayhawks' shimmering blend of country, folk, and bar band rock made them one of the most widely acclaimed artists to emerge from the alternative country scene.