Listen to I CONFESS

THE WAGONEERS

Long before there was something called alt-country, The Wagoneers made high-intensity, twang-infused music that combined the sounds and subject matter of traditional country with the raw energy of rock and roll. Respectful of what came before, yet brash enough to make it their own, they showed everybody that playing country could be cool.

Formed in 1987, the band played the very first South By Southwest and were immediately signed to A&M Records. In 1988, The Wagoneers released Stout & High and quickly followed with Good Fortune in 1989. They received rave reviews, played on Austin City Limits, The Grand Old Opry, and found themselves sharing the worldwide stage with both country and rock legends from Bill Monroe to The Ramones. Then, in late 1989, they suddenly called it quits, but not before establishing themselves as originators and innovators. They truly helped lay the foundation for the Americana and alt-country movement of the 1990′s.

In 2011, The Wagoneers were asked to reunite to play a brief set at the Austin Music awards to coincide with their induction into the Texas Music Hall of Fame. The band found that playing together again felt so natural, they booked a few shows around town, and right away found themselves playing to sell-out crowds. The Wagoneers recognized they had unfinished business.

It is solely the original four members, Monte Warden, Tom Lewis, Brent Wilson, and Craig Pettigrew, that make up this reunion. The reaction to their new material and high-energy live shows would lead one to believe that the band never broke up; they don’t sound like a band that took a twenty-plus year hiatus. The Wagoneers just completed their first album in 23 years with Grammy-winning producer, Mark Bright, at the helm.