Biography
Rooted in the edgy authenticity of West Coast country and western sounds, the San Francisco outfit Red Meat works to sustain the vitality of honky-tonk traditions. The group came together in a Mission District garage during 1993 and draws from Bakersfield legend Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams Sr., the Carter Family, and Gram Parsons, while its stage presentation evokes the early period of Modesto’s Maddox Brothers and Sister Rose.
Six displaced Midwesterners who settled in the City by the Bay make up the lineup, several of whom had previously played in the local act the Movie Stars. Scott Young handles country and bluegrass fiddle along with guitar and vocals and serves as the main songwriter; pedal-steel player Steve Cornell, bassist and singer Jill Olsen, and lead guitarist Michael Montalto likewise supply original songs. Drummer Les James bolsters the ensemble’s vocal character, and frontman Smelley Kelley functions as the “vocal artist,” resident comedian, and audience-relations point person.
Momentum built rapidly after the 1993 launch: by 1994 the band was filling large Bay Area venues, prompting its first studio effort. Ranchero Records issued the debut Meet Red Meat in 1997, revealing both the group’s humorous side and its core style. Tracks such as “One Glass at a Time” confirmed its neo-honky-tonk credentials, while the well-received “Inner Redneck” showed a willingness to poke fun at itself.
That release opened doors for Southwest touring, where the Northern California sextet became a fixture in Austin and Los Angeles and regularly sold out rooms. Meet Red Meat reached number 19 on Gavin’s Americana chart, and its European edition produced a Top Five single in France.
Work on a follow-up began in spring 1998 in Los Angeles under Dave Alvin, known as “the King of California.” Alvin had already shaped the Merle Haggard tribute Tulare Dust, praised for its power and fidelity, and had guided Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys as well as the Derailers. Issued in July 1998, the resulting album 13 captured the band’s development while remaining faithful to its initial direction; Alvin’s guidance helped elevate the material.
Both polished and playful, 13 affirms the principles of traditional country and western music and reaffirms Red Meat’s commitment to the sounds it cherishes. Alameda County Line appeared in early 2001.
Six displaced Midwesterners who settled in the City by the Bay make up the lineup, several of whom had previously played in the local act the Movie Stars. Scott Young handles country and bluegrass fiddle along with guitar and vocals and serves as the main songwriter; pedal-steel player Steve Cornell, bassist and singer Jill Olsen, and lead guitarist Michael Montalto likewise supply original songs. Drummer Les James bolsters the ensemble’s vocal character, and frontman Smelley Kelley functions as the “vocal artist,” resident comedian, and audience-relations point person.
Momentum built rapidly after the 1993 launch: by 1994 the band was filling large Bay Area venues, prompting its first studio effort. Ranchero Records issued the debut Meet Red Meat in 1997, revealing both the group’s humorous side and its core style. Tracks such as “One Glass at a Time” confirmed its neo-honky-tonk credentials, while the well-received “Inner Redneck” showed a willingness to poke fun at itself.
That release opened doors for Southwest touring, where the Northern California sextet became a fixture in Austin and Los Angeles and regularly sold out rooms. Meet Red Meat reached number 19 on Gavin’s Americana chart, and its European edition produced a Top Five single in France.
Work on a follow-up began in spring 1998 in Los Angeles under Dave Alvin, known as “the King of California.” Alvin had already shaped the Merle Haggard tribute Tulare Dust, praised for its power and fidelity, and had guided Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys as well as the Derailers. Issued in July 1998, the resulting album 13 captured the band’s development while remaining faithful to its initial direction; Alvin’s guidance helped elevate the material.
Both polished and playful, 13 affirms the principles of traditional country and western music and reaffirms Red Meat’s commitment to the sounds it cherishes. Alameda County Line appeared in early 2001.
Albums
Live
