Red Dirt (music) - Definition

Definition

Critics say that Red Dirt can best be likened to the indie genre of rock 'n' roll as there is no definitive sound that can be attributed to all the bands in the movement. Most Red Dirt artists would be classified by the music industry as Americana, folk, or alt-country, though the range of sounds in the Red Dirt spectrum goes beyond these genres. It has been described as a mix of folk, rock, country, bluegrass, blues, Western swing, and honky tonk, with even a few Mexican influences. Singer-songwriter and former Stillwater resident Jimmy LaFave said,

"It's kind of hard to put into words, but if you ever drive down on the (Mississippi) Delta, you can almost hear that blues sound," he explains. "Go to New Orleans, and you can almost hear the Dixieland jazz. Go to San Francisco, and you get that psychedelic-music vibe. You hear the Red Dirt sound when you go through Stillwater. It has to do with the spirit of the people. There's something different about them. They're not Texans, they're Okies, and I think the whole Red Dirt sound is just as important to American musicology as the San Francisco Sound or any of the rest. It's distinctly its own thing."

Some define Red Dirt music as "country music with an attitude". Others say it's a state of mind as much as it is a sound - a sound that successfully closes the gap between rock and country.

Although many bands got their start in Stillwater, each band has a distinctive sound said Brandon Jackson, guitarist for the band No Justice. "The sound is different from each band to band to band. Some guys are more rock, some guys are more country, and there's everything in between," Jackson said. Cody Canada, front-man for the band Cross Canadian Ragweed said, ""It's country, folksy, it's bluesy, it's rock, and it's just blue collar music. It's a lot about the lyrics. It's a lot about the feeling of it. It doesn't have a label, I guess. It's everything from Merle Haggard influence to full blown Rolling Stones."

Marc Ringwood, founder of Texas Troubadours - a website dedicated to the sounds of Oklahoma and Texas - says, "I don’t think there is a true way to define it. Trying to analyze it, you see that a lot of artists carry the same influences going back to the days of Bob Wills and Woody Guthrie (for the older artists and bands), and then you have new guys who have followed in stride with their peers by feeding off their influences. Red Dirt also has more of a spiritual quality within the music. It’s more honest, and true and noncliched, like a lot of other music we’re exposed to in major markets."

When asked to define Red Dirt music in an interview with Texas Troubadours, Red Dirt musician and Tahlequah resident Randy Crouch said, "Well, I don't think I'd be the one who's able to define it, but it seems to have Oklahoma values, you know how Okies are real good at doing everything themselves, maybe a sense of independence about it. It's natural, and honest, and about real life. You know, it's almost like the way Woody approached music."

Ben Cisneros, a writer for The 9513 - a country music blog website - says Red Dirt is a "movement" that has managed to create an infrastructure enabling regional success. He states that "program directors and DJs all over Texas and Oklahoma have set up shows that feature Red Dirt music. Not only that, but many stations in major markets are including Red Dirt music in their regular rotation right alongside mainstream modern country."