Cowboy Nation

Formed by Chip and Tony Kinman in 1996 after the demise of their infinitely successful cowpunk band, Rank & File, Cowboy Nation were an outfit dedicated to keeping real cowboy and Western music alive and vital. The Kinmans began doing an acoustic gig around L.A. before adding the unique talents of percussionist Jamie Speidel to their live performances. Combining well-known cowboy standards with certain country classics and their original tunes allowed them to appeal to a broad audience. With as much support from the honky tonk crowd as from cowboy festival-goers, by 1997 Cowboy Nation had created a specific niche for themselves. They recorded their first self-titled project with "Taco" John Norman on drums. Released in Europe and Australia in 1997 on Shock Records, it was only available in the States as an import on the Demon label. Still, Cowboy Nation were an immediate a hit, and garnered a Gavin Pick in August of 1997. Rave reviews mounted up before an American label decided to take a chance on the neo-traditionalist cowboy band in 1998, when the group's project was finally released in the States. The early success of this cowboy band was a tribute to the talent of the Kinmans and their ability to see beyond the musical present. Journey Out of Time was released in 2000, followed by We Do as We Please in 2001 and Cowgirl A-Go-Go in 2002. Tony Kinman died in May 2018 after a short battle with cancer; he was 63 years old.
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