Brent Amaker can fairly be described as a maverick – and not in the sense of the mainstream country magazine. Nope, Brent Amaker is not mainstream although the music that Brent Amaker & The Rodeo make certainly draws on a host a country motifs. He’s a country singer whose band is known for dressing in matching black cowboy outfits, yet Amaker is more inspired by art-rock icons like Devo and David Bowie than the usual country mainstays. A Seattleite since 1997, he’s a Southerner by birth – but were he to be dropped into Bob’s Country Bunker it’s a safe bet that the crowd would be puzzled by his ambitious, performance-art-based stage show and cinematic inspirations. They’d probably throw bottles too.
Brent Amaker & the Rodeo will be releasing their new album ‘Philaphobia’ on January 26th via Killroom Records. Today’s song illustrates Brent Amaker’s decision to get back into the musical saddle once more and reject any thoughts of slowing down or slackening off, as he sings, nay growls, in his deep baritone “I live for whiskey, I live for hat, I live for a long drive / I will not put away my boots as long as I’m alive.”
