In an era when Vince Gill sounds like Celine Dion, it's increasingly clear that Texas and the West Coast must carry the country torch. The California Cowboys don't sound anything like Dwight Yoakam, but they demonstrate a similar facility to incorporate diverse influences in a pure country dialect. Their songs possess enough hooks to grace any airwaves, but the overall package is more innovative than imitative. And if by some chance you're successful and your sound is commercial, then that's the best of both worlds. Sure, you can be true to your music and sound like some old hick and not sell a single record.
Some guys are happy with that.
But it is a business. So if you can be true to yourself and be true to your music and still be commercial, then that's the ideal situation. But while writing songs is one thing, image maintenance is another, especially when you're a local fixture on the Bay Area country scene. It's hard to remain fresh and stay on top. But we've managed to do that, and it's through the help of fans who've supported us all along.