Denton, Texas is the physical home of Chris Welch & The Cicada Killers, but their music hails from James Brown, Roy Orbison, Alex Chilton and the Replacements, a unique place of soul, shimmy, and shake.

The Cicada Killers approached the songwriting on Shook (released February 22, 2019) as a fully collaborative effort, recording an album which straddles the line between country and soul in a marathon five-day session. On it, the Cicada Killers deliver an indie-rock rave-up sound while Welch provides the lived-in voice of a guy who went to one too many parties. The sound is authentic. One cut, “Shoenapper,” was conceived after bassist Dave Huff stopped for gas after a fun gig and particularly celebratory afterparty only to discover he had walked off wearing drummer Clint Sawyer’s shoes.

Frontman Welch and Kelly Evans (sax) gave Elmore a little backstory on one of the band’s favorite tracks, “Borrowed Repertoire.”

“We talk a lot about the music industry and the changes it has seen in recent years, and we got to talking about how it has even affected our community. We’ve all lived in a music town for a long time, and we have seen major changes happening in our own town, like venues closing and great groups never getting traction. Success, now more than ever, seems to be difficult to achieve while remaining authentic. ‘Borrowed Repertoire’ is our tongue-in-cheek, fiery commentary on the industry tending to promote image over artistry, and how it’s always a struggle to remain authentic.”  The Cicada Killers, however, don’t sound like they’re struggling to remain authentic—it comes naturally.

Along with Welch (vocals, guitars), the Cicada Killers includes Patrick Newkirk (lead guitar), “Shoeless” Clint Sawyer (drums), Kelly Evans (vocals, saxophone), Holly Manning (vocals, strings, keys), and Dave Huff (bass).

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Watch some fun band videos HERE