Biography
Formed in 1995, the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash deliver modern country laced with outlaw attitude and the kind of swagger associated with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Kris Kristofferson. Mark Stuart assembled the group after years spent in San Diego blues and rock outfits modeled on Blues Traveler and the Black Crowes; the other members at the time were Dean Cote on guitar, Clark Stacer on bass, and Joey Galvan on drums, though an earlier configuration had featured Buzz Campbell and Alex Watts on lead guitar plus Johnny D'Artenay on bass. Stuart’s commitment to country music prompted the project even though the city lacked any country scene, and the band refused to reshape its sound to match the polished, pop-driven style then dominant in Nashville and Branson.
Momentum increased after the group opened for Merle Haggard at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. They issued a self-produced six-song EP and began touring, sharing stages with Willie Nelson, Joe Ely, Asleep at the Wheel, Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, and the Derailers. Interest from labels followed, particularly from two former San Diego residents at Ultimatum—the William Morris Agency imprint—where Joe Rinaldi served as A&R and Lou Niles as VP; the band signed with the label in December 1999.
A second self-produced nine-song collection, Lasso Motel, drew further notice, earning the band a spot on Music Connection’s list of the Top 100 Unsigned Bands in 1997. In 1998 they appeared before more than 20,000 fans at Willie Nelson’s Annual 4th of July Picnic in Luckenbach, Texas, a longstanding showcase for country’s independent voices. Johnny Cash personally approved the band’s name despite contrary counsel from his own organization. “He’s been very supportive over the years, and even helped us get a show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, which really helped us get a lot of industry attention,” Stuart remarked in one interview, “and that’s just one more reason we’d really like to keep the name, and honor the man.”
After extensive recording and touring that involved several lineup shifts, the full-length debut Walk Alone appeared in early 2001. Distance Between followed in 2002 and Mile Markers in 2005. Stuart later moved to Austin, re-formed the band under the name Mark Stuart & the Bastard Sons, and recruited Lars Albrecht on guitar, Vance Hazen on bass and vocals, and Jim Adair on drums and vocals. Texacali Records issued the first album under the revised moniker, Bend in the Road, on September 22, 2009.
Momentum increased after the group opened for Merle Haggard at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. They issued a self-produced six-song EP and began touring, sharing stages with Willie Nelson, Joe Ely, Asleep at the Wheel, Billy Joe Shaver, Dale Watson, and the Derailers. Interest from labels followed, particularly from two former San Diego residents at Ultimatum—the William Morris Agency imprint—where Joe Rinaldi served as A&R and Lou Niles as VP; the band signed with the label in December 1999.
A second self-produced nine-song collection, Lasso Motel, drew further notice, earning the band a spot on Music Connection’s list of the Top 100 Unsigned Bands in 1997. In 1998 they appeared before more than 20,000 fans at Willie Nelson’s Annual 4th of July Picnic in Luckenbach, Texas, a longstanding showcase for country’s independent voices. Johnny Cash personally approved the band’s name despite contrary counsel from his own organization. “He’s been very supportive over the years, and even helped us get a show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, which really helped us get a lot of industry attention,” Stuart remarked in one interview, “and that’s just one more reason we’d really like to keep the name, and honor the man.”
After extensive recording and touring that involved several lineup shifts, the full-length debut Walk Alone appeared in early 2001. Distance Between followed in 2002 and Mile Markers in 2005. Stuart later moved to Austin, re-formed the band under the name Mark Stuart & the Bastard Sons, and recruited Lars Albrecht on guitar, Vance Hazen on bass and vocals, and Jim Adair on drums and vocals. Texacali Records issued the first album under the revised moniker, Bend in the Road, on September 22, 2009.
Albums
Live
