Photo by Autumn De Wilde
For close to forty years, John Doe has been combining the worlds of country and punk. He co-founded the band X in the late ’70s in L.A., and they quickly proved that artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, the Doors, or the Sex Pistols weren’t mutually exclusive. Somewhat indirectly, Doe’s work led to the alt-country scene of the early ’90s, and by that point Doe had gone solo. More roots influences have crept back into his work over the years, but he still retains that black-and-white bravado, thanks to his raspy baritone voice.
Last year, Doe released the cheekily-titled The Best Of John Doe: This Far, and live in our Studio 1A, he sounded far from finished. Doe polished off “The Golden State,” a song that’s featured musicians like Eddie Vedder, Corin Tucker, and Kathleen Edwards on various versions in the past. Here, a band that includes Cindy Wasserman and Austin’s Jesse Dayton proves the perfect foil to Doe’s story of tragic love.
–Art Levy
