Shotgun Rider

A duo shaped by the sounds of George Strait and Kings of Leon, Shotgun Rider fuse rock and modern pop elements while retaining a deep connection to their Texas roots. The pair, both natives of the Panhandle, consists of vocalist Logan Samford and guitarist Anthony Enriquez, who first crossed paths in 2012 during a stint in a regional ensemble. Recognizing their shared vision, they soon launched Shotgun Rider and issued a debut EP in March 2015. Early traction arrived quickly as “Dance or Drink” and “It Won't Matter Anyway” each surpassed a million streams, prompting a shift from independent releases to a partnership with Thirty Tigers for the full-length Palo Duro in 2018.

Logan Samford and Anthony Enriquez both hail from modest communities outside Amarillo, with Enriquez raised in Dimmitt and Samford in Nazareth. Enriquez took up music at fifteen and began composing during a brief school suspension. Samford, who performed in a church choir and started on guitar at twelve, hesitated to perform publicly for several years due to his reserved nature. Their paths converged in 2012 when Samford appeared with Seven Miles South; Enriquez connected with the group’s guitarist, demonstrated his abilities, and soon joined the lineup. Mutual ambitions for greater success led both musicians to depart and establish their own project, one that merged the traditional country prevalent on the Texas honky-tonk scene with the rock, pop, and R&B they had absorbed in high school.

Their self-titled debut EP arrived in March 2015, and “Dance or Drink” gained regional radio and streaming momentum, exceeding 1,200,000 plays. The follow-up Panhandle EP, released in February 2016, proved stronger still: “It Won't Matter Anyway” accumulated more than 2,200,000 streams, while the set entered the Top 20 of country streaming charts. By then Shotgun Rider had become fixtures across Texas and Oklahoma venues, beginning as a duo before adding a rhythm section for weekend dates and eventually touring as a complete band. Red Dirt country listeners embraced the group, and growing popularity secured a distribution arrangement with Thirty Tigers for the Torrez Music Group imprint. The duo headed to Nashville to record their first album, Palo Duro, which yielded another success when “Me and a Memory” surpassed 1,300,000 streams.