Few young bands can say they have played big-name music festivals and have opened for nationally known acts in a span of only two years.

Formed in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2012, Atlas Road Crew has already played Wakarusa, toured with big-name acts like Hootie and The Blowfish and Hard Working Americans, featuring Dave Schools from Widespread Panic. The band was featured at the AAA Sunset Sessions in Carlsbad, California.

The band’s name is derived from an old practice space off of Atlas Road in Columbia, South Carolina, right before their first gig. Atlas Road Crew is returning to Alabama for its third time Thursday, where they will play at the Green Bar.

“It was hot as hell in [the practice space] in the summers and freezing cold in the winters,” Patrick Drohan, the band’s drummer, said. “It was pretty much practicing in a tin box.”

The Charleston area has shaped the band’s sound into what Atlas Road Crew’s guitarist, Dave Beddingfield, calls “Southern flare.”

Their inspirations range from popular British rock bands like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones to Southern rock musicians Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers. Beddingfield said the slide guitar used in their songs is influenced by Duane Allman.

“We try to create a catchy song that is backed with riveting guitar riffs and an exciting piano style that you can find in a lot of Southern rock songs,” he said. “We can’t help but add a little [Southern] flare and twang to our sound.”

Since they started in a college town, most of their fans are college-aged, but there are some older fans who, as Drohan said, “were our age when The Black Crowes were blowing up.”

Beddingfield and Drohan said the main goal of the band is to connect with their listeners and to be able to make a steady living as full-time musicians.

While not on tour for their current EP, the band is recording their first full length album and is aiming for a February release.