If Westerns are your type of film, then the name Lucky Ned Pepper might ring a bell: It’s the bad guy in True Grit, a nasty, cantankerous character typical of those that prowled the plains and prairies.
It’s also the name of Josh Graham and Rick Russell's duo.
While there’s nothing particularly villainous about these two Bakersfield-based singers, they do infuse their music with some wide-open, big-sky flavor. The songs on their debut album, Get Lucky, are contemporary, each written by some of the best songwriters on Music Row. But they look at home in scuffed boots, jeans and farmland fashion. Their singing complements these images by evoking the courtliness, swagger and easy-going humor of cowboy life.
CD IN YOUR STEREO RUSSELL: “Chris Young … Neon(ITALIC).” GRAHAM: “I don’t know. It’s broke!” SONG YOU SING IN THE SHOWER RUSSELL: “Lucky Ned Pepper songs!” BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND GRAHAM: “The Bible and Keith Richards’ autobiography, Life(ITALIC). Now, there are two extremes!” LUCKY CHARM RUSSELL: “My Oklahoma Sooners money clip.” GRAHAM: “I don’t believe in luck. God seems to have everything good taken care of already.” SOMETHING WE’D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU RUSSELL: “I can break dance.” GRAHAM: “Guess.”
WEBSITE: LuckyNedPepper.com
TWITTER: @LuckyNedPepper
FACEBOOK: Lucky Ned Pepper