Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters

In conjunction with the release of their newest album on August 30th, “Love & Hate In Desperate Places”, The Boxmasters will also be kicking off a tour of the United States and Canada. This marks their 17th release as the ever-prolific J.D. Andrew and Bud Thornton tweak their sound for this album and add longtime road musicians Kirk McKim and Raymond Hardy to the recordings. “When we started this album, we were calling it the ‘Rock Record’ as we were making it. We had some songs that were a bit too heavy to fit on previous records, and we also wrote songs to have a heavier feel to them. Then when we had most of the songs written, we had Kirk and Raymond come out to put their parts on them, which immediately made the record sound more like we sound on the road.” says J.D. Kirk McKim joined The Boxmasters in 2015 after longtime collaborator Brad Davis had to return to his solo and studio work. Originally from the Houston area, Kirk played with Pat Travers for many years as well as other top groups. A master on the guitar, Kirk can play any style needed as well as sing the high harmonies Bud records on the albums. Raymond Hardy joined The Boxmasters in 2010 as a guitar technician and immediately made himself indispensable. At the suggestion of former bassist Dave Fowler, Raymond became the bass player and also has made himself an irreplaceable presence. Raymond’s low-end heft and stage persona add an extra valuable element to the show. Says Bud, “Even, though Raymond and Kirk have been on the road with us for years and are like brothers to us, we’ve never all made a Boxmasters record with all of us in the same room. It was amazing, morale boosting. We also wrote a song together in the studio, which was a dream song and one of the singles picked by the label.” Singles from the album will be “Jayne Mansfield’s Car” which Bud, J.D. and Mike Butler wrote in 2009 but it never found a place on a previous album. The other single will be “Goodnight, Sleep Tight, I’m Gone” which was the last song written for the album by Bud, Kirk and Raymond. “I had a schedule conflict for part of the last day we were in the studio and the boys sat down and wrote my favorite song on the album. I really wish I had been there but at the same time, I might have messed it up!” says J.D. The “2024 Love & Hate Tour” kicks off in Tomball, Texas at The Main Street Crossing for 2 nights and then continues through the Midwest, Canada and then back from the East Coast to California. Highlights are Knuckleheads in Kansas City on Sept. 7th, City Wineries in Chicago, Boston and Nashville and a mix of familiar and brand new venues. Joining J.D., Bud, Kirk and Raymond will be Nick Davidson on drums, a fixture since his addition in 2022. Formed in 2007, The Boxmasters have recorded an impressive and diverse catalogue of music that touches on their love of a wide array of influences, but most importantly, the rock and roll of the 1960’s. Listening to The Boxmasters, one can hear obvious odes to the Beatles, Byrds and Beach Boys, but also important to The Boxmasters are The Mothers of Invention, The Allman Brothers, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and Big Star. Now firmly ensconced in their home base of Peppertree Hill Studios, J.D. & Bud are able to create whatever songs tickle their fancy. In addition to their own albums, they have contributed to recent releases by Ian Hunter (Defiance 1 & 2) as well as Gov’t Mule’s new album “Peace…Like A River.” J.D. and Bud also produced a song with new artist Tausha Hanna for Future Youth Records titled “As I Ever Was” which deals with mental health and has a hook that grabs you and doesn’t let go. As a touring band, The Boxmasters have cultivated a rabid cult fanbase across the United States, Canada and now Europe and the United Kingdom. Opening for the likes of ZZ Top, Steve Miller, George Thorogood and Bubbles and The Sh*t Rockers, The Boxmasters have proven to win over large audiences. As a headliner, frequent stops in Kansas City at “Knuckleheads”, Los Angeles at “The Troubadour” and “Heritage Hall” in Ardmore, Oklahoma have shown dedicated yet still growing audiences. Two appearances at Levon Helm’s “Midnight Ramble” in Woodstock, New York were highlight performances for the band, as well as the “Ramble at The Ryman” that Levon hosted in 2008. Other highlights include The Boxmasters performing on “The Grand Ole Opry” in 2015, and in 2023 The Boxmasters fulfilled a life-long dream of playing The Cavern Club in Liverpool.