Genre
Honky Tonk
Honky Tonk is the sound of authentic country music distilled to its essence—twangy vocals, steel guitars, and stories of heartbreak, hard living, and resilience. Born from the juke joints and dance halls of mid-20th century America, it strips away production excess to focus on raw emotional delivery and traditional instrumentation. On The Rugged Revival, artists like Rosy Nolan, Spencer Hatcher, and Jacob Ryan Marshall carry this legacy forward with their own contemporary takes, proving the genre's enduring appeal to listeners seeking genuine country without compromise.
Artists
Anders Thomsen
Georgia, USA
Blues · Country Rock
Jackie Straw
California, USA
Honky Tonk · Bluegrass
Jacob Ryan Marshall
Texas, USA
Traditional Country · Texas Country
Jacob Weldon
Oregon, USA
Country · Traditional Country
Kerri Lick
Texas, USA
Americana · Blues
Kira Annalise
Georgia, USA
Traditional Country · Americana
Meg and the Wheelers
Illinois, USA
Country · Traditional Country
Pug Johnson
Texas, USA
Americana · Texas Country
Ramona Martinez
Virginia, USA
Traditional Country · Americana
Rebecca Porter
Virginia, USA
Americana · Traditional Country
Rosy Nolan
California, USA
Traditional Country · Americana
Spencer Hatcher
Virginia, USA
Bluegrass · Traditional Country
The Soda Crackers
California, USA
Country · Americana
Willie Waymore
Georgia, USA
Country · Americana
Episodes
Jackie Straw
From Bluegrass Banjo to Honky Tonk: Jackie Straw on Music, Style & Reinvention
From playing Scruggs-style banjo in an all-female bluegrass band to carving out her own lane in honky tonk music, Jackie Straw joins Camden for a candid conversation about her musical journey, performing live, and embracing fearless self-expression. Jackie shares how she transitioned from bluegrass to guitar, the challenges of being a solo performer, and what she's learned from years of playing Nashville's Broadway scene. The conversation also dives into her passion for fashion design, stage aesthetics, and how moving to California has inspired a bold new creative direction. If you love independent country music, honky tonk, Americana, bluegrass, and conversations with artists who are forging their own path, this episode is for you. Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Meeting Jackie Straw 00:36 From Bluegrass Banjo to Honky Tonk Guitar 03:03 Performing Live: Touring, Solo Shows & Nashville Stories 06:42 Stage Style, Fashion & Creative Expression 10:00 New Music, Touring Plans & Where to Follow Jackie #honkytonk #nashville #bluegrass Subscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music! Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628 Follow The Rugged Revival: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevival Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679 Website: www.theruggedrevival.com Email: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com
Meg and the Wheelers
Chicago’s Honky Tonk Revival | Meg and the Wheelers Podcast
The Rugged Revival — independent Country, Americana & Roots music. Live sessions, artist interviews and real music discovery."Meg and the Wheelers are a Country Western band from Chicago, Illinois. Their sharp-witted lyrics, solid harmonies, classic steel guitar twang, and enthusiasm for drinking the pain away will make you want to boot-scoot your regrets out all over the dance floor"More independent Country, Americana and Roots music conversations on The Rugged Revival.Subscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music!Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevivalFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679Website: www.theruggedrevival.comEmail: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com
Willie Waymore
Road Worn Honky Tonk & Modern Americana Music | Willie Waymore
The Rugged Revival — independent Country, Americana & Roots music. Live sessions, artist interviews and real music discovery. "Straight out of Atlanta, GA, The Waymores are a honky-tonk duo keeping country music raw, road-worn, and rooted in truth. Fronted by husband-and-wife team Kira Annalise and Willie Heath Neal, they blend unique vocals, honest storytelling, and a wry sense of humor into a sound that’s equal parts classic grit and modern Americana. Since joining forces in 2018, The Waymores have toured across the U.S., U.K., and Europe, sharing stages with Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, Kelley Willis, Summer Dean, and Scott H. Biram. Their lively shows — full of heartbreak, honky-tonk energy, and banter — have earned them devoted fans on both sides of the Atlantic.Their third studio album, Greener Pastures (2023), produced by legendary hitmaker Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, David Bowie), drew strong acclaim, with singles climbing the Alt-Country Specialty Chart and landing in the Top 10 alongside Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, and Lucinda Williams.Now, with their fourth album The Knot arriving in February 2026, The Waymores continue doing what they do best: singing about love, loss, and the miles between shows. Recorded in Nashville with rising producer Mose Wilson, The Knot brings wit, grit, and the easy chemistry the duo is known for.Whether nodding to tradition or twisting it with a modern grin, The Waymores keep one boot in the past and one on the gas — proving that country music is still about real stories, real songs, and the long road ahead." Subscribe to The Rugged Revival. Share it with your friends. Support independent music! Listen to the full podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wnHcgA73o1aiiKaz882vH?si=30aabdaa220a4628 Follow The Rugged Revival:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruggedrevival/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theruggedrevival Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094507520679 Website: www.theruggedrevival.com Email: ruggedrevival@hotmail.com
Rosy Nolan
Los Angeles Artist Paying Homage to Old Time Country & American Roots | Rosy Nolan
Los Angeles country artist Rosy Nolan’s LP Main Attraction is steeped in Americana roots, Western swing, honky tonk, and old-time country, paying homage to the great American records of the 1920s–1940s. The album is drenched in heartache and longing—core themes that have defined Nolan’s songwriting throughout her career.Designed to take the listener on an emotional journey, Main Attraction kicks off with lively, toe-tapping tracks perfect for a two-step, then slowly descends into haunting ballads that’ll shatter your heart. It’s a record that lifts you up, breaks you down, and ultimately reminds you that you’re not alone. It’s the perfect album for anyone seeking comfort in trying times.
Spencer Hatcher
Spencer Hatcher - Virginia Bluegrass Country Star | “When She Calls Me Cowboy” | Honky Tonk Hideaway EP | Rugged Revival
Stone Country Records’ Spencer Hatcher is a bluegrass-influenced country artist who was raised on a farm in the heartland of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. By the age of 11, he was already playing his five-string banjo in his family’s bluegrass band. In 2020, Hatcher formed his own country band, backed by younger brother Connor Hatcher, a bass prodigy and “blood harmony” supporting vocalist. Dubbed the “String King” by his hometown newspaper and quickly developing a reputation across Virginia and neighboring states as an exciting live performer, Hatcher played more than 150 shows a year in both 2023 and 2024, often setting venue attendance records. He has also built a strong online fan base, including more than 900,000 social media followers. Hatcher’s debut EP, Honky Tonk Hideaway—a good-time destination for music fans who prefer their country served stone cold—is available now. The EP features Hatcher’s debut single, “When She Calls Me Cowboy,” which was a Top 10 Most Added Song at U.S. Country Radio (Mediabase) out-of-the-box. Saving Country Music has lauded the young old-fashioned gentleman as “one of the most promising up-and-coming voices in traditional country music.”
Pug Johnson
Pug Johnson – El Cabron Album | Texas Roots, Americana, and Louisiana Influences | Rugged Revival
Pug Johnson grew up on the outskirts of Beaumont, Texas, listening to the multicultural soundtrack of a city flanked by Louisiana, the Big Thicket, and the Gulf Coast. Those influences would resurface on his solo records, coloring Johnson's eclectic version of American roots music, turning him into a country artist whose songs reach far beyond the genre's borders. Praised by Lonesome Highway for "exploring life's darker side in places… with high spirits and wicked humor," he hits a new peak with El Cabron, an album that finds the songwriter saluting his Texas roots while also delivering universal songs about the American everyman. The album's central character — El Cabron himself — reappears in multiple songs, running up bar tabs on both sides of the Mexican border, evoking personalities from Lonesome Dove's Gus McCrae to Hunter S. Thompson to the flawed protagonists in John Prine's catalog. Rooted in equal parts fiction and autobiography, that character becomes the unlikely hero of El Cabron, an album that follows its predecessor (2022's critically-acclaimed Throwed Off and Glad) in highlighting the wry, witty songwriting of a road warrior who has shared shows with Steve Earle, Eli Young Band, Midland, and Hayes Carll.
The Soda Crackers
The Soda Crackers - Talk Bakersfield Sound, B-Sides & Classic Country | Rugged Revival
With a goal to bring back the “classics,” The Soda Crackers – a five-piece band whose average age barely cracks the 30-something barrier – are in full swing. Make that – full Bakersfield Sound with a nice helping of Western Swing thrown in as a side dish of sorts. The Soda Crackers celebrate the unsung heroes of the Bakersfield Sound, the B-side hits that never get played, and the showmanship plus the instrumentation that all the greats brought to the smoky ol’ beer joints & dance halls from years gone by.
Rebecca Porter
Rebecca Porter - From Guam to Rising Appalachian Honky Tonk Star | Rugged Revival
Born in Guam and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Rebecca Porter blends soulful melodies and fearless lyrics with her honey-smooth voice to create her own brand of Appalachian honky tonk. Her 2023 EP, "Queen of the Local", earned national acclaim and led to recognition in Rissi Palmer's Color Me Country Class of 2024, features on Ed Helms' Good Country and a debut on NPR's Mountain Stage. Known for electrifying live performances, Porter captivates audiences with her emotional intensity and grit. With her highly anticipated debut album, "Roll With the Punches", set for release in August 2025 (announcing April 25), Porter's personal and raw storytelling continues to push boundaries, projecting a cinematic soundscape that balances traditional country’s rugged spirit with an unapologetic journey of perseverance.
Kira Annalise
Kira Annalise - of The Waymores Talks Music, Hair, and Fashion | Instagram LIVE | Rugged Revival
The Waymores are Atlanta-based married honky tonk Americana duo Kira Annalise and Willie Heath Neal. Media fans include Vintage Guitar who said “While 21st-century Nashville pays lip service to this timeless sound, the Waymores keep it alive” and the Austin Chronicle asserted “The Waymores… combine the bright and brash like June Carter and Johnny Cash…”
Anders Thomsen
Anders Thomsen – Honky Tonk Guitar Legend on Blues, Country & Rock | Instagram LIVE | Rugged Revival
In this episode, we sit down with Anders Thomsen – a true American original.A master of honky tonk, blues, country, and roots rock, Anders has spent a lifetime on the road playing everywhere from dive bars to international stages. He’s shared the stage with legends like Chuck Berry, Billy Joe Shaver, Martha Reeves, and Dale Watson, and fronted The Ex-Husbands — twice landing in the Top 10 of the Americana charts.Anders brings gritty storytelling, soulful guitar slinging, and decades of experience to every note. https://bookanders.com/
Jacob Weldon
Jacob Weldon - Bakersfield Grit Meets 90s Honky Tonk Revival | Instagram LIVE | Rugged Revival
Growing up in Independence, Oregon, Jacob was inspired by the legendary acts of West Coast country music. He brings back a 90's honky tonk sound with a touch of traditional flavor. Influenced by icons such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Dwight Yoakam, he strives to bring high-energy country music hearken to the days of the jumping dance halls of Texas and rowdy honky tonks of Bakersfield.
Ramona Martinez
Ramona & The Holy Smokes – The New Honky-Tonk Sound
In this episode, Camden speaks to Ramona Martinez from Ramona and The Holy Smokes.Based in Central Virginia and with family roots in South Texas, Ramona and the Holy Smokes represent a new generation of honky tonk music. With powerful female vocals that cover an emotional range from determined to comic to vulnerable and a talented backing band steeped in classic country and western styles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the band exhibits a “clarity and sincerity that bring Patsy Cline to mind” (Nashville Scene, 2025). Fronted by Ramona Martinez, whose songwriting has earned her recognition from Wide Open Country as one of the "15 Latino Artists Shaping Country Music," this Charlottesville, Virginia-based band is rooted in the traditional sounds of country music but unafraid of pushing boundaries and highlighting the connections across border cultures. They have appeared at several Americana festivals including Red Wing Roots (2024), Rooster Walk (2025), and has opened for touring artists like Margo Cilker, Colby Acuff, Willi Carlisle, Redd Volkaert, Joshua Hedley, Donna the Buffalo, and Kashus Culpepper. Their self-produced debut album, Ramona and the Holy Smokes, a collection of original songs about heartache and resiliency, will be released on September26. www.theruggedrevival.com https://www.vigilantehaircare.com/ #countrymusic #classiccountry #musicinterview #musicpodcast
Kerri Lick
Kerri Lick – Texas Americana & R&B Artist
Roots Rhythm and blues crossed with a flare of Americana songwriter and a dash of Texas Country, a sound right out of a vintage record shop. Kerri Lick is a Texas based singer songwriter with a true diversity in writing that can find you grooving in the blues or riding along an interstate folksingers diary. Kerri Lick pulls sonic inspiration from the likes of Bonnie Rait, Susan Tadeschi, and Bobbie gentry. Kerri has been recognized amongst the Texas music scene as an emerging act to get behind. Having full band slots at 's iconic LJT music festival, Grapefest, Rymes and Vines, The Fort Worth Music Fest, The Mayors Ball in Oklahoma and River Front Blues Festival in Montana she is a show you would not want to miss. #texasmusicscene
Jacob Ryan Marshall
Jacob Ryan Marshall – Young Texas Honky-Tonk Voice
Jacob Ryan Marshall has been playing music since he found his grandmother’s old Gibson guitar under the bed when he was three. He played his first two original songs in Nashville’s Bluebird Café at 15 and has been writing and playing ever since. Jacob recorded his first single in a freshman apartment at Texas A&M. A few weeks later it showed up on the Texas country streaming charts. His songs never stray far from the sound of traditional Honky Tonk country music.
Watch on YouTube
Subscribe for new episodes, Grit Sessions & more
Follow on Instagram
Behind-the-scenes, road stories & more
FAQ
What is Honky Tonk?
Honky Tonk is a style of country music characterized by twangy vocals, steel guitar, and themes of romance, loss, and life's struggles. It originated in the roadside bars and dance halls of the American South and remains rooted in that working-class, unpolished authenticity.
Who are the best Honky Tonk artists right now?
The Rugged Revival features a strong roster of contemporary Honky Tonk artists including Spencer Hatcher, Kerri Lick, Jacob Weldon, Willie Waymore, and Pug Johnson, each bringing their own voice to this timeless tradition while maintaining its classic sound and storytelling heart.
Is Honky Tonk the same as traditional country?
Honky Tonk is a specific subgenre of country music, not synonymous with all country—it's defined by its particular instrumentation, vocal style, and the bar-room culture that birthed it. Artists like Anders Thomsen and Ramona Martinez on our platform demonstrate how Honky Tonk maintains its distinct identity within the broader country landscape.