Artist description Honk 'n' roll with emphasis on the "honk."

Music Style Americana

Musical Influences Buck Owens, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Sun Records, R.E.M.

Similar Artists Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Lucinda Williams, R.E.M., Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Robbie Fulks

Artist History What do Jesus, El Caminos, and Lucinda Williams have in common? The songs of Buffalo Nickel, of course. The group takes the time-honored harmonies and chord progressions of bluegrass greats like Bill Monroe and The Stanley Brothers, combines those with the honky-tonk spirit of Hank Williams and George Jones, and then turns those elements on their ears with the postmodern, pop-cultural referencing lyrical sensibility of Woody Guthrie and Robbie Fulks. The Buffalo Nickel story began in 1997, when guitarist/vocalist Steve Deaton recorded a self-titled album of country-tinged tunes under the name Super Nice Guy. He had previously been in progressive pop bands Bob Q Bob, Flat Stanley, and Handtruck with bassist/vocalist Chris Clark and guitarist/vocalist Clinton Kirby, who would later join Buffalo Nickel. Deaton wanted to return to the simpler, rootsier sounds of his upbringing, when he would go to hootenanies with his father (who was in a band that opened for Elvis in the fifties). He put together a live band, made up of several of the players on the Super Nice Guy CD, and began to play shows in the Jackson, MS area. During this time, Kirby occasionally sat in on bass and backup vocals. However, the entire rhythm section eventually decided to move on, and Deaton was the only nice guy left. Kirby suggested that the two start a project of some sort, even if it was just the two of them singing and playing acoustic guitars. Deaton pitched the idea of adding a third member, longtime friend Emily Graham, who had done her share of time in other bands, including the folksy Watermelon Sugar and the poppy Birdy. The trio debuted with the name “Buffalo Nickel” at Hal & Mal’s, the famed Jackson eatery, on April 10, 1999, alternating solo acoustic numbers with tunes on which all three would play guitar and harmonize. The incredible audience response to the group’s repertoire (which included anything from James Taylor to Frank Zappa) and sound (the “high lonesome” three-part harmonies) encouraged the new trio and they decided that they were on the right track. Kirby eventually started playing electric guitar and lap steel in order to make their honky-tonk tunes more convincing, and Deaton picked up the mandolin to do the same for the bluegrass numbers. The three felt that these additions more than adequately compensated for the lack of a traditional rhythm section. However, this notion was obliterated when drummer/vocalist Elliott Crawford sat in on snare drum at a gig one night. Crawford, a veteran of the L.A. rock scene (his band I Love You released two albums on Geffen Records), added a swing and punch to the sound that the trio had not previously thought was lacking. Clark was then drafted to help out on bass at a show opening for The Souvenirs, the Seattle-based purveyors of the Bakersfield sound. With the current Buffalo Nickel lineup solidified, the group has begun to play as much as possible, in any venue that will have them. Their setlist is made up of the greatest classic country songs by artists like Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard. Many of the strongest original Buffalo Nickel songs are available on the Internet at mp3.com/buffalonickel, including “Take Down The Rebel Flag,” “A Song For Willie Nelson,” “El Camino,” and “Lucinda Williams.” Each of these songs has consistently been in the top 200 on the site’s alternative country chart, and “Lucinda Williams” has reached the number one spot on the regional chart. Since the addition of Brad Clark on drums, Buffalo Nickel has raised its profile considerably. Showcases at Bayfest, an annual music event in Mobile, AL and the CMJ Music Marathon in New York have brought the group new fans and increased prestige. For press clippings, lyrics, or just to say hello, visit mp3.com/buffalonickel, email the band at therealbuffalonickel@hotmail.com, or call 601.584.7021.

Group Members Steve Deaton, Emily Graham, Clinton Kirby, Chris Clark, Elliott Crawford, Brad Clark

Instruments mandolin, lap steel, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums

Albums Super Nice Guy (1997), Sometimes EP + Five Live (1999), Buffalo Nickel (2000)

Press Reviews “Country rock imbued with humorous verbiage, dusky female vocals and grains of mandolin.”CMJ (College Music Journal)“...A not-so-country-western kind of Americana rock band.”The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS)“...[their] own sometimes clever, sometimes thought-provoking songs reflect Buffalo Nickel’s ability to seamlessly blend country, folk, and rock.”The Hattiesburg American (Hattiesburg, MS)“Buffalo Nickel...has just the right mixture of country and western, bluegrass, folk rock, and classic rock.” Bayfest Program Guide (Mobile, AL)“Buffalo Nickel is not your typical country music band.” The Hattiesburg American (Hattiesburg, MS)“They’re just a good ol’ beer-drinkin’ band...” Spokesman for the Mississippi Association of Building Contractors“That damn song of yours ‘Take Down The Rebel Flag’ made me and my son cry.” Email sent via mp3.com

Location Hattiesburg, MS - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).