Tris Munsick and the Innocents: Life, Love, Heartache & True Country
Chatting with my mom the other day, I mentioned that Tris Munsick and the Innocents would be at the Beartrap Summer Festival this year. She then surprised me by asking, “Tris Munsick… any relation to Dave Munsick?”
“I don’t know…maybe?” I replied, feeling kind of silly that my 84 year old mother was, perhaps, more in the know than me about this group.
The answer is yes (and the implication is that in this case, I’ve been living under a country musical rock). The website bio states that “Tris Munsick was raised in a family of musicians. The eldest son of regionally esteemed musician/cowboy Dave Munsick, Tris has grown up with country music running through his veins.”
The Innocents are Tris Munsick on guitar and lead vocals, Daniel Ball on lead guitar and vocals, Tom Lulias on steel guitar, Nick Lulias on bass and Ryan Bell on drums. Their bio goes on to say “The Innocents formed in 2012 and are based out of Sheridan, WY. They play dance music and cover a wide variety of songs ranging from barroom standards to more edgy original works. If "real country" is what you're looking for you've come to the right place!”
I tracked through their debut album Last Time I Leave, which “features all original work ranging from honkytonk heartbreak tunes to cowboy ballads. Last Time I Leave reached #19 on iTunes New Music Charts.” It was also the 2014 runner up for NPR’s Wyoming Album of the Year. They followed that album with Dancehall Days – a “testament to the people and places of the west.”
Their sound, as promised, is true country. These folks sing and play about life, love, heartache and more, delivering the lyrics with sincerity, a grin, or a bit of a twinkle in their eyes, depending on the song. They’ve shared the stage with Lyle Lovett (aka the man I’d love to marry), Blackhawk, Marty Stuart and several other country greats.
So, whether you’re already in the know, or are living under the same country musical rock I’ve been occupying, one thing’s for sure – you’re in for one heck of a good performance on the mountain. After all, it’s in the blood.