JENNY DON'T AND THE SPURS (Portland Oregon Alternative Country Band) Interview

Jim and Mike interview JENNY AND KELLY from JENNY DONT AND THE SPURS! (Portland,  Oregon alternative country band)

ABOUT JENNY DONT AND THE SPURS:

Since their inception in 2012, the Spurs have kept a relentless schedule of recording, playing locally, and touring. After nearly 500 live appearances in almost a dozen countries, and with a slew of albums and singles to their name, Jenny Don’t And The Spurs are just getting warmed up.

 

The Spurs were founded one cold, winter’s evening by Jenny and Kelly. Jenny had been fronting her own band, DON’T, for some time, as well as playing the occasional solo acoustic set here and there. Kelly, who had been in a slew of Portland punk bands since the 80’s, and who had spent the previous several years balancing a grueling touring schedule playing drums with the garage rock trio PIERCED ARROWS and bass with Portland punk-rock destroyers P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S., and wanted to switch gears a bit. After the concept of forming a raw, real, and back-to-the-roots country band had taken hold, it wasn’t long before the couple was rehearsing a seminal set of standards by such influential early country crooners and outlaws like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Ernest Tubb, and Hank Sr., as well as a sprinkling of originals. It was only a few weeks later that Kelly’s bandmates Fred and Toody Cole got wind of the developing musical project that was taking form in Jenny and Kelly’s kitchen and decided to call their bluff by giving them an unsolicited support slot on an upcoming show featuring the Cole’s own solo two-piece act. Not having anticipated such a high-profile live appearance as a first live outing, and feeling like the guitar-and-bass-only lineup that the band had started life as was lacking something on the rhythm end of things, they decided to ask their friend Sam Henry to join them on drums. Sam, who in addition to being Jenny’s bandmate in DON’T and sometimes solo-set-collaborator, had already had a long, well respected career as one of Portland’s best drummers, having played with such first-generation punk bands as the Wipers, The Rats and Napalm Beach. After a couple of weeks of practice, the debut live appearance of the band went off without a hitch and the core lineup of Jenny Don’t And The Spurs was born.

 

The trio of Jenny, Kelly, and Sam existed in this form for the first year-an-a-half or so of the band’s existence, playing whatever local venue would take them – bars, clubs, porches, basements, backyards, and even a bookstore. This worked well for a while, and occasionally the Spurs would enlist talent from a pool of several friends to sit in on lead guitar or lap steel. The addition of a second guitar rounded out the sound of the band to the point where Jenny and Co. decided to make it a permanent part of the band’s lineup. After a couple of false starts and a bit of difficulty finding a fourth member who could commit to the Spur’s sometimes grueling touring schedule, the incredible Christopher March became a member of the family in early 2017. Christopher brought with him a wealth of talent and live gig experience, having spent years playing on the Northwest Country, Rockabilly, and Honky-Tonk circuit.

     Now, with several West Coast and North American tours, as well as three European tours and hundreds of local shows under their tooled-leather Western belts, the Spurs are gearing up for the release of their third full-length studio album. The Spurs are a musical force to be reckoned with, the intensity and energy of their live set, and dazzling Western outfits handmade by Jenny herself, the band is a must-see for anyone who enjoys spirited garage-infused country music played with sincerity and raw conviction.

 

Visit their website for current information on the band and their touring schedule

www.jennydontandthespurs.com 

 

COPYRIGHT CLAIM : The songs Train Ticket, Friday Night, California Cowboy and Lady Bird used with permission from Jenny and Kelly (Jenny Don't and the Spurs)

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