A group of Reno rockers are channeling country-music greats.
Buckshot, the local five-piece outlaw-country group, only has a few singles out so far, but their style and sound have captivated audiences both local and beyond. Honoring the likes of Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams, the band brings classic country to the modern era. Blistering, treble-y guitars and pattering drums dominate the scorched Western vibe of the band’s music, while the lyrics often meld poetics and storytelling.
Buckshot is set to release their debut album in January, with a free release show planned for 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31 at The Alpine. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/buckshot.775.
The band got its start in a maintenance shop at the University of Nevada, Reno, of all places.
“A lot of the guys played in other bands before, and I was never in a band, but I worked with all of them in maintenance at UNR,” said lead singer Jordan Dicus during a recent phone interview. “I went to seminary for a year and started learning some songs and writing music, and when I came back, I started playing my music in the shop. Julio (Giraldo) heard me playing my songs, and he goes, ‘Hey, we should start a band,’ so I said, ‘All right, sounds good.’ We got Vince (Keller), and we got another drummer who is not with us anymore, and then we picked up Greg (Lucero), and then eventually Patrick (Klekas) on the keys. It kind of just fell into place.”
A lot of modern country music is pop-driven, with catchy hooks and big production. Dicus grew up listening to older country music, and he wanted to bring that style to today’s music landscape.
“I grew up listening to Hank Jr. and David Allen Coe and all the old outlaws and the classics, so that was always an inspiration for me,” Dicus said. “Obviously, a lot of the new guys in the scene right now, like Colter Wall and Cody Jinks, they have a distinct style that’s different than a lot of the pop country. These old cowboys singing songs of the West and life out when it’s hard—that’s always resonated with me, so it was pretty easy to pick that up.”
Dicus had a lot of praise for the local country-music scene in Reno, and talked about how Buckshot’s formula of crafting outlaw jams helped the band find their place in the scene.
“I would say there are a handful of bands out here that are really taking on the outlaw country, more old style of country music in Reno,” Dicus said. “… It’s a good scene to fit into, because other guys are doing it as well. However, each band has a distinct style—like Mr. Johnson and His Loaded Dice are very traditional country, and High Desert Habit is another one that’s more rock ’n’ roll tunes. We’re kind of in the middle of that. We have some folk; we’ve got some Southern rock; we’ve got outlaw country, so it’s a whole mix. Right now in Nevada, that’s something that’s on the come-up, and it’s distinct from the stuff you’d find on the Top 10 list.”
The members of Buckshot have encountered fans both locally and out of town who have been blown away by the band’s appreciation for, and replication of, older country.
“Honestly, it’s pretty cool seeing fans’ reactions when we’re done, because they’re like, ‘Holy shit; you guys are local, and this is awesome,’” Dicus said. “A lot of the times, it’s (happened) when we’ve been opening for bigger guys than us. We opened for Redferrin and Moonshine Bandits and David Morris, and all those fans became our fans, so that was awesome. Even traveling to Montana and Utah with Jake Jacobson and opening for him, all those fans (started following us), too; they’re like, ‘Wow, this is the good stuff.’”
Even though finding time to record in the studio can be difficult with adult life, the band is finally ready to release their debut album this month.
“We’re working over at Imirage Sound Lab Studio with a guy named Cole Halvorsen, so we just got dates from him, and we made it work,” Dicus said. “Obviously, we’ve been playing our music for however long, so we went into the studio pretty tight and stuff. It was a matter of just making the time with work. We all have normal jobs with work and families and whatnot.”
The band’s upcoming album explores more thematic storytelling—something hinted at by Buckshot’s first three singles—while providing a varied country-music listening experience.
“Each song tells a story,” Dicus said. “You listen to Marty Robbins and those old-school guys; they’re all telling stories, what you would sit around the campfire telling when you’re working cows. When people listen to our music, they’re going to hear about heartache, about outlaw tales, and obviously some good, upbeat dance and drinking tunes. It’s a darker side of country and life in general, but it’s good stuff, and some of it’s poetic.”
Dicus promised that Buckshot’s country sound will continue to be authentic and faithful, even as the times change.
“In the midst of country music taking on a big pop and even hip-hop (vibe), it’s important to not get away from the roots of country, and I feel like we do that well in our music, and stay true to those old outlaws who came before us and really made a difference in the music scene in country music.”
Buckshot will perform at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31 at The Alpine, 324 E. Fourth St., in Reno. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.instagram.com/buckshot.775.