No Justice Pour Out Their Red-Dirt Hearts on ‘2nd Avenue’
There must be something in the water of Stillwater, Oklahoma. It's the town with a music scene that helped foster the early careers of artists as diverse as country icon Garth Brooks and young rockers All-American Rejects.
The latest Stillwater export is a five-piece band called No Justice, who have already scored two No. 1s and seven Top 10 singles on the Texas Music Charts. A fixture on Texas and Oklahoma music stages since 2005, No Justice are on the road doing nearly 200 dates per year, but their small-town roots keep them well-grounded as they write material for their albums and live shows.
"Almost all of our members have grown up in small towns throughout Oklahoma," says the group's lead singer Steve Rice. "I grew up farming and in small towns where country roots grew really strong. It's definitely a part of my lifestyle and shines through my songwriting; I write about my relationships and what I know. I write about small-town Oklahoma."
Part of the "Red Dirt" country-rock music scene that has its roots in Texas and Oklahoma but has been spreading nationwide thanks to the success of other Stillwater-based bands such as Cross Canadian Ragweed, No Justice also includes lead guitarist Cody Patton, guitarist Jerry Payne, bass player Joey Trevino and drummer Armando Lopez.
No Justice has just released '2nd Avenue,' their debut disc on newly-formed Carved Records, The album's first single, 'Love Song' is on the Texas Music Chart's Top 30 and climbing.
Steve says 'Love Song,' which melds melancholy lyrics with a driving beat, isn't a fairytale as the title might suggest, but rather a tale of lost love. "It's written from a small-town perspective-having missed out on a special opportunity with someone and wanting it back," he notes.
Recorded in Nashville, '2nd Avenue' was produced by Dexter Green (Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Collective Soul). Singers Rebecca Lynn Howard and Johnny Cooper also make guest appearances on the album.
No Justice have toured nationally with, among others, Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Robison, Billy Joe Shaver, Gary Allan, David Allan Coe, Pat Green and Jack Ingram.
'2nd Avenue' is available now. For more information, check out the band's website.
Download No Justice Songs