Lance Roark was singing at an open mic at a bar in Tahlequah one night, where RC Edwards — bassist for the then-on hiatus Turnpike Troubadours — was in the audience.

With Turnpike on hiatus at the time, Edwards asked Roark to join his Americana rock band, RC & the Ambers. When Turnpike returned to the studio in 2022, Roark joined Edwards to co-write the song "Chipping Mill."

Now as a solo artist, the Gore-native and Tahlequah resident has toured with Turnpike, as well as Shane Smith and the Castellows. His solo debut album, Bad Reputation, is about evolving and earning a reputation that maybe others perceive as bad.