Many country artist take different paths to getting on air. Some start out at local bars playing in cover bands, some try their hand at popular contest shows like The Voice or American Idol. For Haltom City, Texas native Cody Jinks, it all started in 1997 when he was the lead singer for a thrash metal band, Unchecked Aggression.
"You don't think about it right of the bat, but there's some pretty dark stuff both in metal and in country music" Jinks said. "Subject matter is subject matter, whether it's pop, blues, country, or metal. It gets dark for everyone now and again, and country music is certainly noted for being able to go to dark spots"
After his band split in 2004, Jinks took a year off and then started playing the other music he grew up with.
"When I was younger, back when you actually had to stand in line, I remember buying George Strait tickets the same day I bought Metallica tickets and believe me, I wasn't the only one in line doing that"
If you ask Jinks, the songs he writes and sings weren't even meant to be country songs.
"It was just coming out country songs. I wasn't trying to write them. I didn't even know how to sing country, so I had to figure it out"
And figure it out is exactly what he did. His fourth album titled, I'm Not The Devil, made it's debut last month and soared to number 4 on the Top Country Albumn chart, selling 11,300 copies its first week.
"We look like a dirty-ass rock & roll band, but whenever people ask what kind of music we play, I just tell them 'country.' I don't use any other adjectives. I'm one of those guys where one of the best compliments anyone can give me is, 'I don't like country music, but I really dig your stuff.' I just want it to be good music."
Good music is exactly what you hear when you go to a show that Jinks and his band, The Tone Deaf Hippies, play at weather in it's at a honky tonk, a BBQ festival, or music halls, Jinks puts on a show that all fans can enjoy. It's his edge, his look, and his tributes to greats like Merle Haggard that make Cody Jinks this weeks country artist spotlight.
For more information on Cody Jinks, including tour dates, check out his website at codyjinks.com.
Follow Jinks on twitter @CodyJinksMusic.
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