Red Dirt Rangers

The Red Dirt Rangers, an emerging alt-country act whose moniker directly references their sound, embody the elusive genre known as red dirt music, a style rooted in the reddish-brown soil of central Oklahoma and first shaped by figures like Jimmy LaFave and Bob Childers. Formed after the members crossed paths at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, the band weaves country-rock-folk textures that can merge Texas swing, the influence of Woody Guthrie, Bakersfield country, and the Grateful Dead within a single set. Their first album, Red Dirt, appeared in 1993, after which they spent the remainder of the decade touring relentlessly across Oklahoma. A children’s record titled Blue Shoe also emerged from the group, alongside contributions to the compilations Pastures of Plenty: An Austin Celebration of Woody Guthrie and The Songs of Route 66. Veteran producer Lloyd Maines lent his hand to the subsequent releases Oklahoma Territory in 1996 and Ranger’s Command in 1999.