.Kicking Back

‘That’s the thing about country music over other genres,” Coleton Joe Tidwell says, before pausing and taking a final drag from his cigarette. As he exhales he adds the butt to a small pile he’s been building in the form of a log cabin.

“People love country music because it tells stories. When we began I wrote more abstract lyrics that were out there and creative. As we progressed I wanted to tap into the concept of songwriting instead of concept albums.”

It’s exactly the sort of thing one would expect from the singer and primary songwriter of five-piece country outfit Kentucky Mule. That’s because while other bands might say that statement to sound deep and introspective while being basic and clichéd, Kentucky Mule breathes a sun-soaked, scent of fresh grass life into their songs.

This Saturday they’re bringing their blend of working-class, American folk tunes, mountain string music and honky tonk to Moe’s Alley when they open for San Francisco’s The Sam Chase & The Untraditional.

Though barely two years together, Kentucky Mule has already made a name for themselves in the Santa Cruz music scene, country and beyond.

“When we first started playing we found ourselves in front of audiences who were not there to have a country music experience,” laughs drummer Troy Nadeau. “But it was cool because a lot of people would come up to us afterwards and say, ‘I never thought I’d like country!’”

“That was always my favorite sentence,” Tidwell agrees.

“And we heard it a lot,” guitarist Scott Willis says.

The base for Kentucky Mule was poured when Tidwell and Willis met as the pandemic lockdowns began to lift. Willis already had bass player Will Lermini in his back pocket.

“He’s my first pick for bassist, always,” Willis says.

They knew Nadeau from the local scene and had played with him in other projects so he was quickly added to make Kentucky Mule a quartet.

Nadeau just so happens to also be a sound engineer by trade and has a self-built home studio where he records all of the band’s music. It’s a tradition that dates back to Kentucky Mule’s very first practice.

“The first time we ever played together we recorded our first song,” Lermini says.

That track is the harmonica-driven, soul-searching “Hounds,” still available online.

Because of Tidwell’s prolific writing from playing solo gigs over the years prior to the band forming, Kentucky Mule already had a couple dozen original tunes right out of the gate.

“Because of all that work we had the opportunity to hit the ground running with a full set of originals,” Nadeau recalls.

“Our first set was like 80% originals, which was pretty amazing,” Tidwell says.

Soon after, the boys were joined by fiddle player Lizzy Smith, the lime juice and garnish that completes the Kentucky Mule recipe. Tidwell tells GT that Smith “really makes the sound” of the band and that everyone knew she had to join after meeting her and seeing her play.

The feeling was quite mutual.

“I’m so excited to be a part of this band,” Smith writes in a text message.

Last year they released their debut EP, Beginner’s Luck, a four-track collection of songs about questioning traditional values, working hard for minimum pay while capitalists get rich and driving fast down Highway 17. Tidwell’s voice flows from silky smooth to whiskey grizzled depending on what the song—and sometimes chorus—calls for. In only 12 minutes and 48 seconds, Beginner’s Luck throws down the gauntlet and harvests a gamut of Americana styles from outlaw and country rock to folk and western ballads complete with a slide guitar.

Then there’s the freshly released Deep Roots Ranch Live Sessions EP that just dropped on July 15. As the name implies, it was recorded live at Deep Roots Ranch outside of Corralitos, surrounded by the local mountains, fields of wild plants and that California sun sinking down just right at the golden hour.

A monster of an EP, Deep Roots Ranch captures the band’s best side. It’s built with boot-scootin’ honky tonk and beer-swiggin’ stories about finding one’s place in this life. There’s even a 1960s-style string ballad that sounds like something Robert Hunter would’ve written. Which is on brand because, ultimately, Kentucky Mule is a live experience, as anyone who’s seen them play can attest.

With skill and ease they follow one another through the songs, sometimes running one tune into another, à la jam band style. Part of that stems from all members having backgrounds in punk and heavier music, with local psychedelic metal bands like Supernaut and Knuckledragger represented.

Then there’s also their grateful side.

“Being a Deadhead [helps],” Lermini says. “I try not to turn my nose up at anything and be as open as possible to all of it.”

It’s a very democratic take on music, which makes sense considering the band’s punk rock background. Someone not familiar with the genres might not think country and punk (or metal) have much in common, but they’d be wrong. All began as music “of the people, by the people and for the people,” with songs about everyday life and struggles.

It’s a connection not lost on Kentucky Mule and they’ll continue to sing their true stories whether they make it in Nashville or not.

“Country music is supposed to be the voice of the average person,” Tidwell says. “But the popular option for country today isn’t giving people that voice. The more you move away from that and corporatize what was supposed to be the music of the masses, something’s definitely off.”

Kentucky Mule opens for The Sam Chase & The Untraditional July 27 at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.