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Rocky Votolato music biography continued...

small town called Frost (population 647), 100 miles south of Dallas. Growing up with a biker father on a horse ranch, Votolato had an unconventional upbringing, immersed in music by Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Johnny Cash. After relocating to Seattle, Votolato spent his high school years discovering the underground punk/indie scene. Inspired by bands like Fugazi, he and his brother Cody (a founding member of The Blood Brothers) formed a punk band called Waxwing, which gained a devoted following. The group recorded three full-lengths albums before officially disbanding in late 2005. Still wanting to make music that echoed the life he'd left behind in Texas, Votolato struck out on a solo career, while still with Waxwing, releasing a self-titled debut album in 1999. He went on to record four accomplished solo albums that increasingly departed from the modern punk aesthetic of his band and explored the musical territory of his Texas youth. 2001's Burning My Travels Clean was a step towards a more focused approach and was followed by Suicide Medicine, which touched on country, rock, and folk influences amidst a still stripped-down sound. Votolato had finally arrived as a solo artist with his own distinctive sound. This, in turn, was followed by Votolato's most critically acclaimed acoustic album to date, 2006's Makers.



After releasing the Makers, Votolato set off on multiple national tours in support of the record. It was during these long stretches on the road, away from his family that sketches for the songs on The Brag & Cuss first came together. Votolato's fifth studio album, The Brag & Cuss found Votolato returning to the band format, and backed by some incredible musicians, including James McAllister (Sufjan Stevens) on drums, Bill Herzog (Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter) on bass, Casey Foubert (Pedro the Lion) on electric guitar, banjo, mandolin and percussion, and Rick Steff (Cat Power, Hank Williams, Jr., etc - who joined the band remotely from Memphis) on Hammond b3, piano, and accordion. By this time, Votolato had proven that whether his sound is stripped down or all gussied up, it is a musical wonder for fans to behold.