Cooder Graw

Formed in Amarillo, TX, in 1998, country rockers Cooder Graw are comprised of members Matt Martindale (vocals/acoustic guitar), Kelly Turner (guitar), Paul Baker (bass), Joe Ammons (drums), and Jim Whisenhut (pedal steel guitar). Jumping into the music biz later than usual (its members' age ranges from the late thirties through early fifties), Cooder Graw immediately earned a loyal, local fanbase, as they were named "Best New Band of the Year" by Dallas radio station KLIF, and won "Band of the Year" and "New Artist of the Year" by the Americana music website Rockzillaworld, which led to opening shows for such renowned country artists as Willie Nelson and Alabama. 2000 saw the band release their self-titled debut, produced by Ray Benson (a member of fellow country outfit Asleep at the Wheel) and Hayden Nicholas (a guitarist/songwriter who penned a total of nine chart topping hits for Clint Black). In January of 2001, Cooder Graw issued the 13 track live album, Segundo, which mixed previously unrecorded tunes with renditions of favorites from their debut, and by the end of the year, the band was already hard at work on their next studio effort.