Known for their high-energy blend of honky-tonk, Americana, and traditional country, the Shootouts hit the bullseye with their new record.
As Vogue magazine pointed out, Akron, Ohio, is a surprisingly cool — and musical — town. Devo, Chrissie Hynde, and the Black Keys all came out of Akron. So maybe it’s not so surprising that the country-tinged Americana outfit the Shootouts do, too.
The band — lead singer Ryan Humbert, vocalist Emily Bates, bassist Ryan McDermott, drummer Dylan Gomez, and guitarist Brian Poston — put out their debut, Quick Draw, in 2019. Now, continuing to draw on the imagery, metaphor, lingo, and sound of a retro honky-tonkified spaghetti-Western of their own Midwestern making, they’re coming out with their second album, Bullseye, on April 30 on Soundly Music.
And C&I is proud to premiere the whole album right here.
After landing in the Top 50 of the Americana radio charts; being nominated for Best Honky-Tonk Group at the 2020 Ameripolitan Awards; and sharing the stage with folks like Marty Stuart, Jim Lauderdale, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Radney Foster, and Sheryl Crow, the band enlisted former BR549 lead singer Chuck Mead to produce their latest studio effort.
“We're so excited to share Bullseye with everyone,” Humbert says. “I think what we’re most excited about is that it shows different sides of the Shootouts, expanding upon ground we covered with Quick Draw in 2019. We made sure the songs for this record would play well with the songs from Quick Draw in a live setting.”
For Humbert, Bullseye finds the band a little leaner and meaner. “Maybe it’s a sign of the times,” he says. “Either way, working with our friend Chuck Mead was an honor, and the record we made together is a testament to the great time we had making it — despite recording it between a tornado and a pandemic! It’s a fun record, and hopefully it will help people take their mind off the craziness of the world, even if it’s just for 37 minutes.”
If you happen to drop in at “Rattlesnake Whiskey,” you’ll swear you just hit play on an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. And who doesn’t need more of that vibe right about now?
Preorder Bullseye by clicking here.
For more on The Shootouts, visit their website, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
