A group of five hell-raising and God-fearing mavericks roll into town with guitars and amps in tow, and a party immediately ensues…
With drinks poured, fists raised, and smiles wide, TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION (THC) always know how to have a good time. A collective of tried-and-true rabble rousers and dyed-in-the-wool storytellers, the Texas quintet—Big Dad Ritch [vocals], Cord Pool [guitar], Nevada Romo [guitar], Rado Romo [bass], and Joey Mandigo [drums]—spike ass-whopping hard rock with a kick of country swagger and a whole lot of Texas grit and gusto.
Gathering tens of millions of streams, logging thousands of miles on the road, and energizing countless fans, they deliver ten anthems tailormade to simmer and scorch on their eighth full-length album, Gun Smoke [MNRK Heavy].
“In terms of the lyrics, the vibe, and where THC come from, we definitely went home on this album,” says Ritch. “It represents the wild west Texas-Oklahoma area. You’ve got a little red dirt country spilling over into the storytelling and metal. It’s a return to the dirt where we came from.”
THC first booted up back in 2004. The band grinded with one gig after another and built an audience. They ignited an unrivaled, uncompromising, and undeniable signature style proudly dubbed, “Red Dirt Metal.” It powered up a bulletproof catalog, scoring three back-to-back Top 5 debuts on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums Chart with Peacemaker [2012], Ride On [2014], and Dark Side of Black [2016]. Signing to MNRK, THC unleashed High In The Saddle [2019] and The Name Lives On [2023]. Of the latter, Blabbermouth raved, “TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION truly have their own brand of music and style. That’s something that makes them stand apart and should going forward.” Simultaneously, “Turn It Up” reeled in over 13.7 million Spotify streams, while “Pissed Off and Mad About It” generated 7 million Spotify streams. They graced the stages of festivals such as ROCKLAHOMA and packed houses everywhere. Not to mention, they spearheaded other successful ventures like barbecue sauce and more. In 2024, Ritch and Co. retreated to an Airbnb for a month and wrote what would become Gun Smoke, going on to record in Dallas and at Bell Labs in Northern Oklahoma with producer Trent Bell.
Rich says, “Trent allowed me to get as much of myself into the album as possible. It’s similar to our first two records when I was really the captain at the helm. Those records were less polished. So, we got back to the rawness that was there at the beginning.”
This time around, the musicians wholeheartedly embraced their country and Southern rock stylings as well as a lifelong passion for westerns. “I’ve always been a western guy,” Ritch affirms. “John Wayne is one of my superheroes. You try to model yourself after people you think have good morals and standards. As a big guy, if I walk in and look like a man who has his act together, it’s like, ‘Here comes this big man’,” he laughs. “‘Gun Smoke’ is me projecting myself at you like, ‘This is what I stand for. This is how I live’.”
That message comes through loud and clear on the title track and first single “Gun Smoke.” Rustic acoustic guitar crawls through a stomping beat punctuated by waves of groaning distortion. It climaxes on a chantable chorus, “I sell W**d and liquor to the city slickers. I can get you there quicker, and like a gun…I smoke.” “This day and age, people are so worried about flying any flag that’s red, white, and blue,” he observes. “The flags I fly are red, white, and blue. One has 50 stars, and the other has one star. Don’t be concerned about what flag I’m flying though, because I’m not concerned about what flag you’re flying. The song’s about a good old boy who’s proud to be an American. This is who I am, and I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks.”
Wild riffing tosses and turns beneath “Bonez Jonez,” and Ritch relays the tale of a “local entrepreneur” and acquaintance from his youth.
“In our hometown, there was a guy named ‘Bonez’,” he recalls. “He was about six-foot-seven-inches tall like Lurch from The Addams Family. I’d get W**d from him, but he sold everything you could think of. Just W**d for me though,” he chuckles.
Then, there’s the heartfelt “She’s Like A Song.” Uplifted to the heavens by bright guitars and a solid beat, an epic chorus takes flight as Ritch sings, “She’s like a song to me, a lovely harmony, a sweet melody.” “
It’s one of those songs where you can roll your windows down and let it go,” he says. “We all have one person you want to see smile. It’s nostalgic and makes you want to reflect.”
The ride concludes with the breezy exhale of “I’m Gettin High.” Loose acoustic guitar brushes up against his soulful delivery, pairing countrified poetry with a smoked-out guitar solo. The frontman continues, “Even though I’m down on my luck and the repo man just drove off with my truck, I’m still getting high. That’s how life is. No matter what, you can still do whatever makes you feel good—go fishing, hunting, or shopping. It’s the country side of THC.”
Ultimately, there are many sides to THC, which makes the band so damn good. “I don’t preach, but I’m never going to quit talking about W**d, faith, family, and who I am,” he leaves off. “I just want to be a bigger man. I’m living the life I live because of the fans. The audience put me in the position where I haven’t had to work a day—all I have to do is play. I’m so grateful for everything.”
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