John Butler – Vocals, Acoustic/amplified open back banjo, 12-string, 6-string, resonator lapsteel, and Weissonborn lapsteel guitars, Baritone tricone resonator guitar, Nylon string acoustic guitar, Banjo, Mouth harp, Harmonica, Ukelele (track 8), Yidaki (Didgeridoo) & Electric guitar (track 9)

Shannon Birchall – Backing vocals, Double bass, Electric bass guitar, Violin and string section composition and arrangement (track 4)

Michael Barker – Backing vocals, Drums, Shakers, Tambourine, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Congas, Timbale, Cow Bell, Timpani, Vibraphone, Tubular Bell, Crotale, Vibraslap, Kalimba, Tongue drum, Clave, Cabassa, Bongos, Triangle, Beat Box (track 2)

Danielle Caruana – Backing vocals (tracks 2, 7, 11)
Meng Jones – Beat Box (2)
Chad Hedley – Turntables (2)
Money Mark – Clavinet (2)
Bobby Singh – Tabla (2, 9, 12)
Michael Caruana – Piano and B3 Hammond (5), Wurlitzer (7, 8)
Ray Pereira – Talking drum (7)
Jex Saarelaht – Piano (7), Hammond organ (9)
Vika Bull – Backing vocals (7, 8)
Linda Bull – Backing vocals (7, 8)
Stacia Goninon – Backing vocals, chants & claps (7)
Jesse Goninon – Backing vocals, chants & claps (7)
Nicky Bomba – Backing vocals, chants & claps (7), Police skank (8)

Funky Tonight was released as the first Australian single (December 2006)
Good Excuse was released as the second Australian single (March 2007)
Better Than was released on 20 February 2007 as an online single in the United States, available via iTunes and later in Australia as a CD single in August 2007 and it served as the third single in Australia.
Used to Get High was released as a radio promotional fourth single in Australia (November 2007)

Their fourth studio album, entitled Grand National, was released on 24 March 2007 in Australia and New Zealand, and released on 27 March in the United States and France. The first single off the album, titled “Funky Tonight”, reached a high of No. 15 on the ARIA charts and No. 12 on Triple J Hottest 100 for 2006. A second single, “Better Than,” was also released. In conjunction with the American release, the trio scheduled a small American Tour consisting of only five cities starting in Los Angeles and ending in New York.
In April 2007 Grand National was the initial album nominated for a J Award by national youth broadcaster Triple J. “Better Than” which was released as the first overseas single from Grand National, reached No. 1 on the Triple A format charts in United States in June 2007. It also reached the top ten international songs at Japanese Radio and has been a major radio hit in France where the video made MTV’s video of the week.
On 7 July 2007 they performed at the Australian leg of Live Earth in Sydney. On 31 July 2007 the John Butler Trio performed their song, “Better Than” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On 4 August 2007 they performed at Newport Folk Festival playing a set that included “Used to Get High”, “Better Than”, “Ocean”, “Funky Tonight”, and “Good Excuse”.
In 2007, the John Butler Trio won the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Award for Best Performing Independent Album as well as Best Independent Release and Best Blues and Roots Album at the ARIA Awards.
On 3 August 2008 they performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago. The John Butler Trio concluded the summer of 2008 touring the U.S. with G. Love and Special Sauce.
In July 2009 “Betterman” was voted number 47 by the Australian public in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time.

On 26 March 2009 John Butler announced that the current bass and drum musicians of the John Butler Trio, Shannon Birchall and Michael Barker are separating from the band. For purely artistic reasons, John felt it necessary to change the line up in an attempt by John to discover new inspirations with new members. John stated in his announcement:

Michael Barker went on to form Swamp Thing with guitarist/singer Grant Haua, based in New Zealand. Their first album Balladeer was released in May 2011