The Showy Frontier Nostalgia of Jenny Don’t and the Spurs

Jenny Don't

Colorful country-western group Jenny Don’t and the Spurs is all about recreating the vintage western look and sound of the old western frontier. The nostalgia of the past combines with new, original music inspired by rural roots and a love for simpler times.

The first thing most people notice about Jenny Don’t and the Spurs is their showy Western outfits. Fans of bluegrass group The Kody Norris Show might understand the appeal of echoing the old styles of country western.

“We all love the classic look, and after decades of baggy T-shirts and jeans and tennis shoes being more or less acceptable stage wear in country music, we feel like someone has got to take a stand,” joked the group’s namesake and vocal lead, Jenny Don’t. “But seriously…we really love the classic country aesthetic, but we could never afford vintage Nudie suits, or even to have someone custom make modern ones.”

The solution was simple; she started creating stage outfits herself.

“We have a strong DIY ethic, and we feel like things that you can make yourself are always better and more ‘real’ than just buying something off the shelf, so I figured I’d better learn to make my own clothes,” she explained. “I make or customize most of my stage outfits, as well as the outfits that my husband – Spurs bassist Kelly – wears.”

“I think the one-of-a-kind nature of our stage wear helps to attract – and then hopefully hold – people’s attention long enough to give our music a listen.”

She said they strive to offer “a mix of cool aesthetic and great music, and if we can accomplish both of those things, then we’ll have done our job.”

She added that the Spurs’ guitarist often adds an authentic vintage touch to the band’s look. He has a collection of old western wear, and he’s “got a great eye for finding the true old stuff!”

The current lineup includes Jenny Don’t, Christopher March on guitar, Buddy Weeks on drums, and Kelly Halliburton on bass.

As is the case with many country performers, growing up far from the hustle and bustle of a big city affected the group’s work in terms of inspiration and themes.

“A few of us in the band grew up in rural environments, and I definitely feel like this had an impact on us,” Jenny Don’t said. “Growing up in the country gives one a different perspective on things, I think, than an urban upbringing does.”

That perspective was challenged and enhanced while gigging abroad. She became fascinated with exploring cultures she hadn’t been exposed to in childhood.

“As a kid, I never really thought I would ever be able to travel to Europe or anything like that, especially not to play music,” she reminisced. It wasn’t until she met bass player Kelly Halliburton that exploring through travel was possible. Eventually, he would become her husband.

 “He had been touring around the world since the early ‘90s, and I am incredibly thankful he was able to show me how it's done,” she said. Her first trip to Europe was in 2010, and she said she was hooked immediately on travel. That’s when – and why – they decided to start the Spurs.

“It's a really rewarding feeling that I now get to travel around the world with my best friend, playing songs we wrote together,” she added.

Over the past year, the band has been chiefly touring in support of the June 2024 release of Broken Hearted Blue.

“This record is the fourth full-length that we've released, and I feel like it's the beginning of a new chapter for our band,” she explained. “This is the first record with our current drummer, Buddy Weeks, since our longtime drummer, Sam Henry, passed away from cancer in early 2022. So, it's really important to all of us. It represents our decision to keep moving forward and working together in the loss while looking toward the future. This being said it is by no means a sad album. Very opposite, in fact. It's a culmination of ideas and inspirations all melded together, Spurs-style.”

The band just finished its eighth European tour, an extensive outing that filled May and June. Next up are some dates throughout the American Midwest. Then, they’ll finish off the summer with a round of appearances on the West Coast, including events such as the Hopped-Up Chopper show in Seattle, the Donner Party Picnic in Grass Valley, Calif., and a variety of festivals, including the Pick-a-Thon in Portland.

“Somewhere in there, we also have to find the time to sit down and work on our next record,” she added, explaining that’s not an easy task for them, being such road warriors.

It’s difficult to resist that lure of the open road and the always-nagging inspiration wrought by wanderlust.