HIPPIES AND COWBOYS

                                                              "20 to Life" 

                                                              Blue River Records

There’s no doubt that the Lower Broadway area of Nashville is littered with band after band after band. Each of them bringing their vibe to familiar covers, with some sticking to a true-blue classic country sound of years gone by, while others infuse their modern kissed sets with classic rock favorites to keep the crowd revved up.

However, it’s rare that one of these acts can bring something vibey and original to the table that can create a substantial amount of buzz across town to where the deals happen, but that’s exactly what Hippies And Cowboys have done.

Their frequent trips to the stage at Kid Rock’s famed honky-tonk is seemingly the perfect spot for this gritty, southern rock edged soulful and bluesy country band to really make a name for themselves while honing in on their sound and perfecting it as they show us on their debut single, “20 to Life.”

With harmonica lacing the intro over softly played keyboards there’s an instant bluesy tilt to the instrumentation, but as it continuously builds and amps up the energy, we’re dropped into guitar licks that kick the country bent southern rock vibe into a danceable, toe-tapping groove as Aaron Sparling begins spewing out the lyrics, setting the entire story in motion with the opening verse:

“Well, she left me out in Toledo

Said she was heading on back to Reno

She had the fire in her eyes

As she told me goodbye

As she made her way down the road.”

But this isn’t your typical breakup song! Rather, it’s lyric is much darker toned and points to revenge and murder as we find in the chorus: 

“So now I’m headed out to reno to kill that girl

She left me broken heart, wrecked my whole world

Well, I might be looking at 20 to life

If I find that girl in Reno tonight.”

The heavy use of keys throughout the bridge gives this an old school flare with a dusty honky-tonk fuel, before the guitars shred back in and kick you square in the teeth with their raw and infectious grooves.

By combining all the different signature aspects into one song that shows why Hippies And Cowboys is one of the must see acts when you visit Nashville, they’ve delivered the perfect, all-around introduction as to who they are and what they have to offer to the music scene.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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