B i o g r a p h y
An energetic and wildly spirited country-rock sextet hailing from Bakersfield, the Smokin' Armadillos amazed the record industry by selling an astounding 150,000 copies of their independently released EP before they ever laid eyes on a recording contract. Comprised of Scott Meeks (guitar, vocals), Rick Russell (lead vocals), Josh Graham (acoustic guitar, vocals), Darrin Kirkindoll (drums), Aaron Casida (bass, vocals), and fiddle champion Jason Theiste, the band formed during the summer of 1992, with four of the group's six members knowing each other from high school. They developed a huge following regionally, and on the advice of a friend who worked for a major label, they began to release singles and send them to radio stations. Oddly enough, even with stiff competition for airplay slots, some reporting stations began playing the singles and soon a demand was created for their music. The band released a five-song EP and shipped copies from an office in Bakersfield, as well as sold units at their popular live shows. The Smokin' Armadillos released three singles -- "My Girlfriend Might," "I'm a Cowboy," and "Red Rock" -- which took them to the top of the independent charts before they signed with MCG/Curb in 1994. They released their debut album in 1996, along with a reissued version of the EP. ~ Jack Leaver
And after several more years performing live that culminated with a farewell show in 2005, that was the end of the story. But in 2015, all six original members reassembled to record one more project. For several years now, they have collaborated to write, record, engineer and produce a new project, that was led by the single, The Other California, which landed at radio stations on September 25, 2017. Since then, the band has released another song, Eight Second High, which hit the internet in February of 2019. Only time will tell what will happen next for the boys from Bakersfield, but you can bet it's gonna get interesting...