http://www.viewnews.com/2008/VIEW-Dec-02-Tue-2008/North/25430530.html Band combines country and punk music
By AMANDA LLEWELLYN
VIEW STAFF WRITER ..
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Christina Chiaravalloti/ViewThom Ferman, left, and Quint Olsen of Quint & the Cowpunk Calamity, a punk rock country band, rehearse for a show.
Christina Chiaravalloti/ViewJon Lukawski, bass player for Quint & the Cowpunk Calamity, plays at a rehearsal at MDV Studios, 4131 W. Oquendo Road.
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In a music industry era when genres are clearly defined and work of an ambiguous thematic nature is looked down upon, renegade musician Quint Olsen is breaking down the barriers between two iconic genres every chance he gets.
Olsen, front man and founder of the rockabilly band Quint & the Cowpunk Calamity, began blending punk rock classics with country twang last year, not long after forming the band.
"There's this strange place in my mind where punk rock and country music collide and it just works," Olsen said. "It wasn't something I set out for. I think both styles have a significant impact on our culture. Both have influenced my music. But, putting the two together was really done on a whim."
Olsen said that he grew up on country music, with his dad playing artists such as Steve Earl, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr.
"It always stuck with me," he said. "I think that music resonates with most people because it's about hardship and heartbreak and all of those things in life that really gut us."
Olsen found the rage of punk rock in his teens and early 20s, submerging himself in music from bands such as Social Distortion and the Misfits.
"That movement has so much power behind it," he said. "It touched me in a different way. Both have influenced my musical journey profoundly."
Olsen said he began to get the itch to return to his country music roots while playing with rock band The Lurks in mid-2007.
"I still moonlight with them, actually," he said. "But we did a lot of rock stuff and I just started to feel like maybe I wanted to do something different. So I did."
Olsen formed the Calamity not long after and began getting gigs at various clubs around the valley.
"It was cool because a lot of the places we were playing, you wouldn't think they would be fond of country music," he said. "In fact, the majority of bars we play are punk rock bars."
Olsen said he got the idea to do a song by the Misfits with a country beat and heavy steel guitar feel one night while playing such an establishment.
"I looked out at the crowd, and they were being great," he said. "Really getting into what we were doing. But I thought, 'Hey. This is a punk bar. Let's play some punk rock.' But let's do it our way."
The response was overwhelming, according to Olsen, who holds down a day job as a guitar teacher at Cram Middle School in North Las Vegas.
"People were really digging it," he said. "The majority of musicians I've run into are also fans of the style."
Fan Rogan White said that he has seen the band play a few times, and he always looks forward to the sets with a cowpunk feel.
"I've never heard anyone else do what they're doing," White said. "It's innovative and that's why I like it."
Olsen said that the lyrics, melody and genuine angst of the punk songs aren't altered, but the flavor changes with a dash of country twang and the moan of a steel guitar.
"The band isn't looking to get a record deal or make a huge splash," he said. "I think we're just looking to keep doing what we're doing and have a good time. I call it 'outlaw country.' If I can keep doing that, I will be a happy guy."
Contact North Las Vegas and Downtown View reporter Amanda Llewellyn at allewellyn@viewnews.com or 380-4535.