All About Cowpunk: History and Characteristics of Cowpunk

Cowpunk, or country punk, is an umbrella term for an array of music artists and rock bands who fold elements of the American roots sound into their chosen genres, ranging from rock and roll and pop-rock to garage rock and hardcore punk rock. The American roots sound includes country music, blues, folk, rockabilly, and other subgenres typically referenced as “Americana.”

As a result, there is no single style of music that can be defined as purely cowpunk music—the term exists more as a reference to a shared influence rather than a unifying genre or even subgenre. However, the artists labeled as cowpunk have had considerable influence on another far-ranging genre with roots-rock heritage: the alternative country or alt-country scene of the 1990s and 2000s.

Here is a brief history of cowpunk and its evolution:

• The sound is born in the late ‘70s. The history of cowpunk can be traced to the late 1970s when several bands emerged from the post-punk and new wave scenes with a sound that distinctly referenced country and folk. However, the country sound that influenced bands like Los Angeles’s X and the Blasters hewed closer to an older, more traditional iteration of country music. Their inspirations included the folk-fueled vocal harmonies of the Carter Family, iconoclastic rockabilly from Johnny Cash, and the heavy twang of Buck Owens and other representatives of the Bakersfield, California scene. Learn more about the Bakersfield sound.
• Critics stamp bands with the cowpunk label. Eventually, the critical attention afforded to these groups increased interest in other bands that anchored their music in a foundation of traditional American sounds. Some groups that critics labeled cowpunk bands included the psychobilly/garage punk band the Cramps, English post-punk rockers the Mekons, the gothic-tinged group The Gun Club, and punk rock bands Social Distortion, Rank and File (formerly known as the Dils), and Blood on the Saddle. New wave-oriented groups with country flavor like Lone Justice were lobbed into the cowpunk camp, as were the folk-flavored Violent Femmes, Phoenix, Arizona’s punk-psychedelic “desert rock” band the Meat Puppets, their Tucson neighbors, Green on Red, and the richly eclectic roots-rock outfit Los Lobos. Even eccentric acts like the satirical Dead Milkmen, Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper, and the Beat Farmers were drawn into the cowpunk fold.
• Cowpunk in the twenty-first century. While few cowpunk bands found mainstream acceptance or placed videos on MTV, the timeless country and folk sound at the heart of their music allowed them a more lasting fame than many of their punk and hard rock counterparts. Bands like X, Los Lobos, the Cramps, and Social Distortion remained active well into the twenty-first century with new albums and regular touring. They also influenced a host of new indie bands who echoed their diversity of sound and intensity, including the punk/garage rave-ups of Supersuckers and the hard metal thud of Nashville Pussy. The punk-country fusion of Hank Williams III, a bona fide legacy performer whose father and grandfather were country legends Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr., respectively, also falls under the cowpunk umbrella.

Several characteristics define the cowpunk sound, including:

1. 1. Diversity of sound: Cowpunk has no unifying sound beyond a connection to traditional American music, so its sound can be applied to many rock genres. A punk band like X can fall under the cowpunk label, as can the melancholy new wave pop of Lone Justice and the hard swagger of Nine Pound Hammer or the Georgia Satellites.
2. 2. Roots-influenced sound: Though cowpunk covers a far-ranging group of musicians and bands, they all count roots music as a primary influence for their diverse sounds. Chief among these are classic Nashville country of the 1950s; the rockabilly scene that emerged from Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee; hillbilly and mountain music; and traditional blues, Mexican corridos, and early rock and roll. Many bands have recorded covers of these songs, such as Social Distortion’s take on Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”
3. 3. High harmonies and fast tempos: The sound of cowpunk reflects a meeting of two worlds: the big beat, sped-up tempo, and heavy riffing of punk with the blues- and folk-influenced structure of country music. High harmonies are frequently heard, along with the twang of rockabilly guitar and a mix of traditional rock and country instruments like acoustic and pedal steel guitars.

There are many notable cowpunk artists, including:

1. 1. Blasters: Founded by brothers Dave and Phil Alvin of Downey, California, the Blasters were steeped in classic country, rock, and rhythm and blues, which informed their own hard-charging sound. A staple of the Los Angeles club scene in the 1970s and 1980s, the Blasters have soldiered on with a rotating lineup, while Dave Alvin has enjoyed a critically praised solo career and a long tenure with X.
2. 2. Jason & the Scorchers: The Nashville, Tennessee-based Scorchers wowed fans with their high-energy live performances, fueled by the fervor of frontman Jason Ringenberg. With a sound that merged alternative rock with classic country, Jason & the Scorchers enjoyed a devoted fanbase, though label stardom and hits eluded them before their breakup in 1990. The band has reunited and issued new LPs in the decades that followed, while Ringenberg enjoys a solo career as children’s artist Farmer Jason.
3. 3. Long Ryders: Alt-country act the Long Ryders became Los Angeles favorites with a sound that fused classic country and punk with the ‘60s-influenced vibe of the Paisley Underground scene of the 1980s. After several albums, including their 1984 debut Native Sons, which featured Gene Clark of the Byrds, the Long Ryders folded in 1987. Still, they surprised many fans by reuniting and recording new material in 2019.
4. 4. X: Spectacular songwriting and flawless harmony vocals by vocalist Exene Cervenka and bassist/vocalist John Doe defined the sound of Los Angeles’s X, which rose to prominence in 1979 and have remained active ever since. Drawing on influences ranging from Beat poetry to ‘60s rock and classic country, the band’s fire and soul have made them beloved figures in their hometown and relevant artists more than four decades after their debut.

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