Whiskey Myers kept the sound of the South alive in the 2010s, turbo-charging the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams, Jr. that earned them a strong cult following within the margins of Texas’ Red Dirt country scene. Their music is tough and moody, full of ruminations on life in the South, with powerful rockers sitting side by side with slower, introspective tracks, and pedal steel guitar ringing out next to crunchy six-string riffs. The band laid out the template of their sound of 2011’s Firewater, and they enjoyed a commercial breakthrough with 2019’s Whiskey Myers. 2022’s Tornillo found them expanding their sound with horns on several tracks.
Hailing from the East Texas town of Palestine, Whiskey Myers first formed when friends Cody Cannon (lead vocalist/guitarist) and John Jeffers (guitarist) began jamming with fellow guitarist Cody Tate. They soon started gigging under the name Lucky Southern. Planning to attend college, the three relocated to Tyler, Texas, but once there, the trio added bassist Gary Brown and drummer Jeff Hogg and renamed themselves Whiskey Myers.
Around 2007, Whiskey Myers began working the Red Dirt circuit in East Texas, building up a solid following via their own concerts and opening gigs for the likes of the Eli Young Band. Signing to Smith Entertainment, the combo released their debut, Road of Life, in 2008. They launched their own imprint, Wiggy Thump, for 2011’s Firewater.
Firewater gave the group their first big break, reaching number four on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and 26 on their Country Albums chart. The album helped establish the band as a force in Texas, reaching number one on the Texas music charts and leading them to win Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2012 Lone Star Music awards.
Produced by Dave Cobb, Early Morning Shakes arrived in early 2014, and it pushed the band toward a wider audience, peaking at ten on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. Two years later, they reunited with Cobb for 2016’s Mud, which also featured the band’s new member, percussionist Tony Kent, along with contributions from fiddler/keyboardist Jon Knudson. Mud debuted at number four on the Country Albums chart. Following the release of Mud, bassist Gary Brown left the band; he was replaced by Jamey Gleaves. They also expanded to a six-piece with the addition of Tony Kent on keyboards and percussion.
Whiskey Myers appeared in four episodes of Yellowstone, a Paramount Network series featuring Kevin Costner. This raised the group’s profile, helping Mud re-enter the charts. The band produced their eponymous 2019 studio album themselves, and it was a surprise hit upon its October release, debuting at six on the Billboard Top 200 and topping both the country and indie charts. As the album exposed them to new fans, they were soon playing more shows and to larger audiences, with 100,000 people witnessing their set at the Download Festival in London. In 2022, Whiskey Myers put out a digital EP, a four-song release called The Wolf. It was a preview of the group’s sixth album, the 12-track Tornillo, which was once again produced by Whiskey Myers at Texas’s Sonic Ranch studios.
The announcement on the new 2025 release Whomp Whack Thunder comes with the release of lead single ‘Time Bomb,’ a gritty, high-octane track that previews what’s to come from the record. Fans caught the debut at Stagecoach Festival this year
Recorded over three immersive weeks in Nashville with renowned producer Jay Joyce — known for his work with artists like Eric Church and Lainey Wilson — Whomp Whack Thunder blends roaring classic rock energy with the soul and swagger of modern Southern grit. The album was written entirely by frontman Cody Cannon and reflects on life, loss, and the road that shaped them.
“We didn’t set out to chase a specific sound—we set out to make a Whiskey Myers record,” said lead guitarist John Jeffers. “Jay pulled something out of us that’s raw and real, and every track’s got a piece of our story in it. This album’s about where we’ve been, what we’ve lived, and the scars we earned along the way – and I think ‘Whomp Whack Thunder’ might just be our most fearless album yet.”
From the breakneck energy of ‘Tailspin’ to the haunting weight of ‘Icarus’ and the blues-soaked stomp of ‘Ramblin’ Jones,’ the album captures the full force of Whiskey Myers’ evolution. The lineup includes Cody Cannon (vocals, guitar), John Jeffers (guitar), Cody Tate (guitar), Jamey Gleaves (bass), Jeff Hogg (drums), and Tony Kent (percussion, piano), with Joyce also contributing keys, organ, and guitar throughout the record.
Before the fall album release, fans can hear new material live on the What We Were Born To Do Tour, kicking off June 6. Whiskey Myers will also join forces with Tedeschi Trucks Band for 14 co-headlining dates on the Live in 25 Tour later this year. Additional highlights include the band’s seventh annual Wiggy Thump Festival in their hometown of Palestine, Texas, on May 10, and the inaugural Whiskey Moon music vacation in Miramar Beach, Florida, from November 7–9.
Sacramento’s K-ZAP 93.3 FM plays Whiskey Myers. All part of 50 years of Rock, Blues and More, 24-7 on our station’s stream at K-ZAP.ORG/LISTEN/
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