Cowboy Mouth appeals to audience with tour, album
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 23, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 MCA The band Cowboy Mouth, which began in New Orleans,
recently released a new album titled "Easy."
By Sarah Monson
Daily Bruin Contributor
A little band out of New Orleans is making some very big
noise.
Cowboy Mouth, which played a show at the House of Blues on the
first leg of its 4th Annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras
Tour in early January, is finally making its mark in the music
world. The southern foursome out of Louisiana has had 10 years,
since its inception in 1990, to hone its musical style.
“We’re The Clash meets the Neville Brothers,”
said bassist John Griffith in a recent phone interview.
This eclectic mix of musical styles comes from the combined
effort of the band, which has spawned eight albums and countless
tours, where the band has spent upwards of 250 days per year on the
road.
Considering the amount of time Cowboy Mouth spends together, it
may seem that the members’ personalities would meld together,
but the band mates continue to maintain their individuality.
“We haven’t done much writing together,”
Griffith said. “But when you bring a song to Cowboy Mouth, it
gets Cowboy Mouth-ized.”
Garnering local fame throughout New Orleans as a must-see live
band, Cowboy Mouth has a way of making everyone in audience feel
almost like a fifth member.
Drummer and front man Fred LeBlanc entertains crowds with his
quirky facial expressions and drumming technique ““ flinging
and fumbling through a small army of drumsticks at the band’s
shows.
Rounding out the band are guitarist Paul Sanchez and bassist Rob
Savoy, who each help to lead the band in its desired direction.
A rarity in today’s music scene, there doesn’t seem
to be an ounce of pretension in the band.
“You have to check your ego at the door,” Griffith
said of the four band mates who each contribute songs on every
album and step up as lead vocalist on their respective songs.
Though LeBlanc is decidedly the most flamboyant of the group,
with his spastic drumming style and jovial charisma, the other
members of Cowboy Mouth also have a few tricks up their
sleeves.
Griffith, a classically trained pianist, is currently working on
a solo album scheduled to be released in April.
“This album definitely shows a different side of
(me),” Griffith said.
After selling more than 400,000 copies of its previous albums,
Cowboy Mouth is expanding its musical horizon. Still, Cowboy Mouth
opts to play small venues in an effort to stay in touch with its
audience, and, according to Griffith, for the sake of its fans.
“We’d (rather) do two nights in medium sized clubs
instead of moving into the enormo-dome,” Griffith said.
Even with their relentless touring and zealous enthusiasm,
however, many people have yet to experience the loud mouths of
these cowboys. The band has yet to hit the mainstream. But these
New Orleans boys may surprise even the toughest critics.
The bands latest album, “Easy,” is chock full of
radio friendly songs, and, with its charismatic stage presence and
charming demeanor, Cowboy Mouth is far from being tongue-tied.
MUSIC: Check out Cowboy Mouth at www.cowboymouth.com
