With a blend of many genres, The Ugly Cowboys are a red dirt band with punkabilly and indie vibes. With a blend of country, punk, and rock, the lyrics are humorous, crass, and very unapologetic. Their songs cut straight to the modern-day reality of America. Spirited punk meets crude red dirt music in entertaining and enthralling live shows.
With Sam Miess, vocalist and guitarist, risking life and limb on stage, The Ugly Cowboys have gained quite a following of fans. By risking life and limb with crazy on-stage aerobatics, many venue owners have said that Miess is the best stage performer they’ve ever seen. The Ugly Cowboys have just finished a few shows with popular band, Radkey.
Forming The Ugly Cowboys
Lifelong guitarist Sam Miess traveled to Stillwater Oklahoma from Wisconsin in 2021 to pursue a PhD in Biology. When meeting classically trained pianist of 10 years, Bee McAdoo, The Ugly Cowboys became a band. Sam Miess has been involved in The Cuz where he wrote 3 award winning albums. Miess has also shared the stage with legendary bands including Kansas.
In our year and a half as a band, we’ve played with eight different drummers.
Sam Miess
The Ugly Cowboys started out playing GD Sam’s original music, but now have their own releases. Liquor Store and Crab Cakes are the first two songs written together. Liquor Store is sung by vocalist and bass player, McAdoo, who brings punk and classical sounds into the band. Ben Lokuta is their current drummer, but they also have a spare drummer, Hunter.
Inspiration and the Creative Process
Photo by naturalspacesphotos
The Ugly Cowboys have released two new songs already this month. Amerijuana and Walmart parking lot is written by all three band members. McAdoo’s approach to writing music can take months while Miess’ approach is based more on inspiration. Miess says, “I used to write my best stuff hammered at four in the morning. Now I just wait for divine inspiration…” Miess finds this divine inspiration walking through the woods. Sometimes Miess hears a phrase of music, and will expand on that. Lokuta says he will write the drums as soon as they send him the song.
I get a phrase stuck in my head and think ‘hey, that’s pretty good.’ Then I write a song about it. It can take months
Bee McAdoo
Each member has their own inspirations to write music with McAdoo taking inspiration from annoying and crazy individuals they have crossed paths with. Lokuta gets his inspiration from characters he has created from situations he observes. For Miess’ inspiration he says, “It used to be based on a dramatized version of myself or the people around me. Now I do the same but thinking back to when I was 18-19 and kind of a piece of [work].”
The plan for The Ugly Cowboys is to release 1 or 2 songs a month. They also have full CD’s available to purchase, for those of us who are impatient. They plan on touring as well, but as we know from Space Camp, multiple members means multiple schedules to work around. Sam Miess is still working on his PhD at OSU, Bee McAdoo is teaching, and Ben Lokuta has his own thing going on.
What to Expect at a Live Show
Photo by Rik Clement
I’m thinking, ‘don’t hit me.’
Bee McAdoo
The stunts Sam Miess does on stage during a performance, is a sight to see. From doing flips to playing the guitar backwards, Miess has been hurt a few times. These accidents aren’t serious, such as cutting his eyebrow on the guitar or slicing his hands up from the strings. His secret to reducing injury is stretching before the show. This lesson was learned from pulling a hamstring in the past where he was unable to walk for a few days.
When he stands on the bass drum, I think about what would happen if it caved in.
Ben Lokuta
When performing the live shows, The Ugly Cowboys have their favorite venues too. Each member has their own reasons for the venues they enjoy. McAdoo enjoys playing at New Bar, “It’s down the street from our house.” Lokuta says The Venue Shrine in Tulsa, and 89th Street in Oklahoma City usually have a fun vibe. Miess says it’s a little hard to choose a favorite, because they have all been great places to play except one.
The Ugly Cowboys have a unique blend of red dirt, punk, and indie influences. They’ve carved out a niche that’s as daring as it is infectious. As they gear up for their next live show, they promise another adrenaline-fueled spectacle. The Ugly Cowboys are a force to be reckoned with, challenging conventions and leaving their mark on the Oklahoma music scene.
Keep up with more music from Oklahoma via Respect My Region.
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