<a href="https://mattaxton.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://mattaxton.com</a><br /><br />BioIf you live in the United States, there’s a good chance that Matt Axton and his band, Badmoon,<br />will be coming to a town near you. That is a very good thing.<br />Axton’s group delivers a sound that is equal parts classic rock, country, rock &amp; roll, and soul. In<br />other words, as Axton puts it: “Americana with a capital A.” With 200+ shows performed last<br />year, and a full slate on deck for 2026, they might be the hardest working band in the genre.<br />Now comes the release of Axton’s newest EP, Same Old Story. Recorded in Los Angeles at<br />iconic Sunset Sound, it features five songs combining funk, soul, and country and is available<br />on streaming platforms and on vinyl.<br />“Muscle Chops” is the lead single. An opening funky rhythm guitar intro leads into a<br />guitar/bass/drums/organ riff that sounds tighter than a brand new pair of cowboy boots. Axton’s<br />baritone voice is a deep growl.<br />You got some voodoo on your mojo<br />You got something funky up on your soul<br />A Hammond-B3 organ solo comes on like Al Kooper after the second chorus, fingers dancing<br />and building to a climax, followed by Taylor Kropp’s screaming lead guitar in the middle eight.<br />This is a band fully prepared to rock the house.<br />That Axton leads a band of killer musicians is not a surprise to anyone who has followed the<br />singer-songwriter’s career. His family’s musical pedigree is untouchable. Grandma Mae Boren<br />Axton helped discover Elvis Presley and co-wrote the million-selling “Heartbreak Hotel,” moving<br />to Nashville where she helped launch the careers of titans like Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks.<br />His father, Hoyt Axton, was an entertainment icon penning hits for the Kingston Trio, Three Dog<br />Night, Steppenwolf, and Ringo Starr. His mother is also a professional musician, and when<br />Hoyt’s band toured the country it was a family affair. Matt says, “Mom had me sitting on the<br />piano since I was a baby.”<br />Suffice it to say that Matt Axton grew up steeped in music, but that doesn’t mean he takes hard<br />work for granted. He says, “I come from a legacy family, but you still have to walk the walk.”<br />Walk the walk he does. He started playing the guitar seriously in college following an injury that<br />ended a college athletic career. Since then, Axton has written over 350 songs. A few of these<br />are likely to appear on an upcoming full-length album, planned for a week-long recording<br />session later this year in Tulsa.<br />Axton and Badmoon have just completed a West Coast tour, and are soon to hit the road again<br />for Oklahoma for a residency at The Colony and a week-long recording session. April kicks off a<br />swing up into the Mountain West, including Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Washington, and<br />Oregon. In August and September the band goes to Nashville and the Northeast.<br />If it sounds like a busy schedule, there’s more: Axton also runs the monthly Americana Joy<br />concert series in Los Angeles and the annual Tahoe Joy music festival in his home town of<br />Tahoe City. But there’s no rest for the wicked, nor for musicians trying to improve the world by<br />spreading mountain soul rock and roll from coast to coast, one listener at a time.<br />Axton says, “Making any kind of impact in the world — making it a little better, a little better-<br />sounding — that’s the dream.”<br /><br /><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support</a>.