John Austin is a local singer/songwriter and former member of the Struts. After a couple of years, John formed a new group called the Austin Roots. Singing tight harmonies over well tuned guitars, the group performed original tunes and covered artists such as Bonnie Raitt and John Gorka. The group quickly became a local favorite at Common Ground and other coffee houses, bars, and restaurants in the Philadelphia area. Around 1996, John moved away from Austin roots to perform on his own.