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Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Erik Vincent Huey

Erik Huey grew up along the Monongahela River in West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, the son of four generations of coal miners. That background runs deep in both his life and his music. He was raised in a world shaped by working-class struggle, Appalachian tradition, and the kind of hard-earned perspective that never really leaves you. At the same time, he came of age blasting punk bands like The Clash, X, and the Sex Pistols, absorbing their raw energy, rebellion, and refusal to play by the rules.

Those two worlds—Appalachian roots and punk-rock attitude—became the foundation of Erik’s sound. Along the way, he found a bridge between them through the cowpunk and roots-rock trail blazed by artists like The Blasters, The Beat Farmers, Jason & the Scorchers, and Dwight Yoakam. That journey eventually led him back to the country music he had first heard as a child riding in the cab of his Uncle Jack’s 18-wheeler, listening to Johnny Cash and George Jones. What once felt like the soundtrack of an older generation became part of his own musical DNA.

Performing under the name Cletus McCoy, Erik became the longtime frontman of The Surreal McCoys, a band once memorably described by Mojo Nixon as a cowpunk “hipster doofus band.” The group built a strong following with its wild mix of country, punk, rockabilly, and sharp-edged humor. Over the course of two albums, The Surreal McCoys carved out a distinct identity, helped in part by the mashup single “Whole Lotta Folsom,” which received airplay on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country. That exposure helped the band reach a wider audience, leading to roughly 50,000 monthly listeners and more than 3.5 million streams on Spotify.

After the deeply personal and place-driven themes of his previous album, Appalachian Gothic, Erik wanted his next project to move in a different direction. Instead of building around one central narrative, he set out to make a record that simply gathered strong songs under one roof. In his own words, the new work is about “achieving escape velocity out of Appalachia and into the larger world,” reflecting not only a creative shift but also his own life journey. It is music born from the hills, but not trapped by them.

That next chapter arrived with Fort Defiance, produced by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, often called “The Godfather of Americana.” Ambel’s long history as both a guitarist and producer made him a natural fit for Erik’s sound. Known for his work with Joan Jett, The Del-Lords, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Bottle Rockets, Jimbo Mathus, Yayhoos, and Sarah Borges, Ambel brought both muscle and authenticity to the project. The album also features guest vocal appearances by Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Guns N’ Roses, as well as Sarah Borges, adding even more depth and character to the record.

Backing Erik on Fort Defiance are Starbelly, the Baltimore power-pop standouts who toured the U.S. and internationally with him following his previous album. Their presence gives the record added energy and range, helping create a sound that feels rooted, road-tested, and wide open.

Erik Huey’s music is built on contradiction in the best way possible: punk and country, grit and melody, old ghosts and forward motion. Whether as Cletus McCoy, with The Surreal McCoys, or through his solo work, he continues to make music that feels deeply American, fiercely personal, and impossible to neatly categorize. It is the sound of someone who knows where he came from, but refuses to stay in one place.

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