Winslow is a veteran SoCal Country/Rock cover band, founded in 1992, a member of the California Music Hall Of Fame, a Bash Best of 2022 recipient, and a GigSalad Top Performer. We play cool California Classic Rock and kickin’ California Country. Vocalist Kelli Rae is the 2022 recipient of the WCCMA Vocalist of the Year award.
Growing up in the Midwest, I listened to a lot of country music. Names like Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, and Kenny Chesney reign supreme. Country music has changed over the years, some of it sounding like pop music, but there are still some classic country bands out there. Heck, I just saw Darius Rucker perform. He’s the lead singer of Hootie & The Blowfish, now on tour as a country musician.
We host a lot of events here at The Lakes Country Club. When I heard we were doing a country-themed event this spring, I got excited! In April we are hosting Ladies’ Night: Denim & Diamonds Under the Stars featuring Winslow, a local country/rock band. Similar to the artist interview I did with Peter Cincotti to promote his show at the McCallum Theatre, I reached out to Winslow to do the same.
This was a great interview, and while this band flies under the radar, they are performing all over Coachella Valley and I can’t wait to see them this spring. I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did putting it together. Without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Winslow.
Tell me more about the band Winslow. Where are you based, how long have you been performing and what sort of songs do you sing?
Winslow is one of Southern California’s hardest working high energy country/rock bands! We’ve always been known as hard core SoCal musicians, and have honed our style down two pathways: kickin’ California Country, and cool California Rock.
Our country repertoire covers the 70s through the 00s:
Our rock repertoire covers the 60s through the 90s:
We perform all your favorite country hits, and keep a large repertoire of classic rock tunes on hand as well. Winslow performs as an acoustic trio, a country quartet, or a five-piece band with female vocalist Kelli Rae.
Winslow also performs a Dwight Yoakam tribute – ’cause we love Dwight and the Bakersfield sound! And you can’t get anymore California than that! As you probably know, Dwight has unique inflections in his voice and tonal quality, and is very hard to replicate – as a result, there are not many Dwight tribute bands out there. We’re gifted to have Apple Valley Steve, our tremendous male lead vocalist who’s a sonic dead ringer for Dwight – and who also does Johnny Cash, George Strait, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Neil Diamond, and Ronnie Dunn.
We also perform a Dwight Yoakam and the Bakersfield sound tribute:
Winslow was founded 30 years ago in 1992, and originally started out in the San Fernando Valley – throughout the years, families and work obligations have kept us focused within the SoCal, Arizona, and Nevada commercial, resort, and rodeo circuits, and we have fans aplenty out there!
Focusing recent performances on our large fan base throughout the greater LA basin, Winslow is down home and bills ourselves as “just your friendly neighborhood country band”. Yes, we keep a low profile – because we’re in it for the art form and for our dance crowd – and with over 60 shows in 2022, the band is ready for an even busier 2023.
When Winslow plays Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties, we have a terrific female vocalist with us – and that’s Kelli Rae who is absolutely outstanding and was recently named Traditional Female Country Vocalist of the Year by the West Coast Country Music Association – and she’ll be competing in the Nationals in Tennessee later this year. Kelli does a Miranda Lambert tribute, and we often combine our shows to do a Dwight meets Miranda blockbuster!
Here’s a video of Kelli Rae:
Winslow was recently nominated and inducted into the California Music Hall Of Fame, alongside other artists such as Jan & Dean, Ritchie Valens, the Mighty Cash Cats, Olivia Newton-John, and Cannibal & the Headhunters. During the Induction Ceremony, Winslow paid tribute to Dwight Yoakam by performing three of his top hits, and by performing special tributes to Ritchie Valens and Olivia Newton-John.
Come on out and stop by a few of our shows and see what California Country’s all about! You can see what shows we have upcoming on the homepage of our website.
You will be playing at The Lakes Country Club soon. What can fans expect from a live performance?
Well, there’s nothing as exciting, or as much fun, as being up close with a live band, especially if the band is polished and dedicated to providing a great experience. We’ll be playing at a Ladies’ Night private party this coming April 19 at The Lakes. I’m certain we’ll be asked to do a large assortment of line dance tunes, because they’re so much fun, plus they’re great for maintaining aerobic health, and you don’t even need a dance partner to participate. Kelli Rae will provide some basic dance lessons to get the party started, and will kick it off with the Electric Slide, one of the most popular and adaptable line dances out there. When Kelli has multiple costume changes during an event, we often bring in dance instructor Phoenix to help out.
How did you all meet and how often do you practice?
I first met Steve, our lead vocalist (and Winslow founding member), at a Buck Owens party hosted by the Moose Lodge. We were asked to put together a set of Buck’s best, and Steve and I performed as a duet. Steve had just relocated to the high desert and was looking to continue Winslow with local personnel. I subsequently introduced him to female vocalist Keli Rae, lead guitarist Scott Foster, and drummer Richard Messenger, and we’ve been together since. We get together weekly, whether at a rehearsal or at a gig, and keep our chops tight through this frequent interaction.
Winslow are members of the California Music Hall Of Fame. Did you go out looking for that recognition or did they come to you with that offer?
We were nominated by several staff members of the California Music Hall Of Fame. C.J. Wilkes, the CEO of the CMHOF subsequently researched our history, and was quite impressed by our live video and the fact that we could represent, and provide backline for, a wide variety of other artists and band personnel unable to attend the induction event.
What does that mean for you as a band? There are some big names in the California Music Hall Of Fame.
It is certainly a distinct honor to have become a member of the CMHOF, and frankly unexpected, as we tend to fly under the radar. But we put on an exceptional set of performances, and were recognized by several other attendees as being an outstanding band. Notably, inductee William Shatner invited Winslow to collaborate with him on future projects, and will be attending select gigs this coming year.
Have you ever performed on the corner in Winslow, Arizona? That would be fun… to see Winslow IN Winslow!!!
(Laughs.) No, but we’ve certainly talked about it – it’s on our bucket list to be sure! Most likely one of us will take a road trip later this year and come back with snapshots to Photoshop.
There are a lot of good country songs out there! How many different songs can you perform?
Yes, there’s a million great tunes out there! We keep about 200 active tunes in our portfolio, and rotate a fair number in and out during the year.
Do you need permission from the original artist to perform a cover song? I’ve always wondered how that works.
Never had that problem, probably because the cover material we play is, from a listening standpoint, generally treated as public domain. Imagine being fined a nickel every time you whistle your favorite tune. Different story though, if we were to record and release a known song, as copyrights last 70 years from the time of the original artist’s death. However, there are a number of tunes penned by recording artists where we do ask permission to perform, especially newer releases.
How do you describe California Classic Rock?
Classic Rock comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid-1990s. We tend to focus on the Top 40 hits of that time period, specifically songs that hold their appeal over time. Our primary audience is Southern California based, and over the years, we have become acclimated to the types and genres of rock that these particular audiences favor most, and we tailor our shows toward observed segments. Winslow’s Classic Rock repertoire covers the genre, and we provide theme parties using our catalog, for example (a) Jimmy Buffet Party, (b) 80s Rock Show, (c) Oldies Top 40 Party, (d) 90s Rock Event, (e) Yacht Rock Party, (f) Disco Dance Party – just to name a few.
You have a Live Chat on your website. That is actually how we first connected! Who is managing that? Thanks for getting back to me, by the way!
We use the Wix software platform for our website. The Live Chat button is a standard feature on most applications. But we’ve found it’s not quite interactive, and only shows as a message in the Wix Editor – probably a good thing, as we don’t always have live operators standing by. (Laughs.) On our website’s Contacts page, we list several alternate avenues of communication including Facebook, The Bash, GigSalad, or you can phone or text me directly.
Winslow is a GigSalad Top Performer. What is GigSalad?
GigSalad is among a handful of online platforms, including The Bash, which connect entertainers and service providers with people hosting parties and events.
I LOVE Dwight Yoakam. I saw him live when I was kid. BIG fan!!! Tell me more about your tribute to him and his music.
We perform and extensive Dwight Yoakam and the Bakersfield sound tribute, with up to three hours of music by Dwight, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and friends:
Have you ever made a mistake while on stage?
We’re able to avoid mistakes during live performances through the use of several tools, including the provision of set lists to all personnel detailing the song’s title, key, and meter, shown above. We also perform sound checks prior to performances to ensure the quality of audio projection, plus our drummer uses IEM click tracks so the beat remains consistent throughout the tune. And on the rare occasion someone’s fingers slip and slide, the great bassist Victor Wooten once said that recovery is nearly instantaneous, as you’re only one fret away from being in the relative key.
I just realized your logo is a guitar. That is awesome! Who designed that for you? I dig the California Country logo, too.
We collaborate with Jerry at Sector 88 Productions for both our logo and our website design – the telecaster guitar logo was an original design by Jerry, and he and I jointly designed the California Country and the California Classic Rock logos.
Kelli Rae was recently named Traditional Country Vocalist of the Year by the West Coast Country Music Association. That is awesome! Please tell her I said, “Congratulations!” Not really a question. I just wanted to mention that!
Thanks! Here’s a picture of her trophy:
There are a lot of big names in country music. Who inspires you?
Frankly, we are graced by all who have gone before. We’re musicologists, and each of us have a tremendous number of influences, both in the country and the rock genres – and a lot of us have grown up with notable performers out of Nashville and Bakersfield Country circuits, and out of the San Francisco and Los Angeles rock circuits, so we have a hands on, been there appreciation.
I’m fairly new to Palm Desert. Where is the best place to see live music? And what are some of your favorite places to play?
The Coachella Valley is home to a variety of music venues, from casinos (e.g. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, where one can see a name band in a concert setting, a rock tribute band in the outdoor The Rock Yard, or a country or disco band inside at LIT – events are listed on their website), to clubs (we like to play at Casuelas Cafe and the Tack Room Tavern), and a variety of country clubs that host a myriad of private events. For the general public, the Coachella Valley Weekly has extensive listings for food, beverage, music, and general entertainment events.
Where can folks at home learn more about Winslow?
Our website is a good start. And our Facebook Page has a full listing of past and upcoming events.
What’s next for Winslow? Any big plans for the New Year?
We’re all working folks, both retired and active, and regular guys and gals – we share a love of music, and a love of family – and I gotta say, that’s a healthy agenda. Actually, it doesn’t get much better than this, and we are all thankful!
This year, we’re shifting our focus from bar and honky tonk appearances to full service restaurants and private events, as we have a strong following, and the larger venues are much more accommodative.
Hey, and maybe Dwight Yoakam will use us as his backing band sometime this year, we’re working on it!
Thank you for doing this. I really enjoyed getting to know you. And I can’t wait to see you here at The Lakes Country Club later this year. In all of the interviews I do I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Well, thank you Ricky – we appreciate your focus on Winslow, and the extra effort you are investing for your clients at The Lakes CC – can’t wait to see your blog, and we’d like to post it to our webpage if possible as you’ve gleaned some good info from us here – so thanks again for doing what you do, and we’ll see you this coming April 19!
