“Garage rock shit-stomper cowpunk band born and bred in ole’ Kain-tuck”

Forming in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1986, Nine Pound Hammer, originally known as the Black Sheep, became a pivotal band in the “cowpunk” scene. Led by guitarist Blaine Cartwright and vocalist Scott Luallen, they are known for their raucous, over-the-top blend of punk rock, hard rock, and country, paving the way for alt-country in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

The band’s story began in 1986 as the Black Sheep, transforming into Nine Pound Hammer after a series of changes. After their 1988 debut, “The Mud, the Blood, and the Beers,” released on Wanghead Records, the band had a shift to the punk rock label Crypt Records and released their second album “Smokin’ Taters” in 1991. Following a European tour, lineup changes continued with drummer and bassist changes.

In 1994, Nine Pound Hammer dropped their third album, “Hayseed Timebomb,” recorded in Glasgow, Kentucky. Their song, “Run Fat Boy Run,” was featured on the popular 2004 skateboard video game “Tony Hawk’s Underground.” The band once again was on the road after the album hit stores, touring the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Following this, the band released “Sex, Drugs, and Bill Monroe” in 2007. And in 2009, the band  saw the launch of a tour-only album titled “Country Classics.” This album featured energetic covers of vintage outlaw country classics and revisited some of their earlier tracks.

In 2010, a 25th-anniversary tour took place, and in 2017, they released “Bluegrass Conspiracy” and “The Barn’s on Fire: Live in Kentucky.” In 2021, the band had a new line-up again and returned to the studio to record “When the Shit Goes Down,” produced by Daniel Rey who has worked with the Ramones, the Misfits and White Zombie..

The lineup reunited for “Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio” in 2023, which was issued on Cleopatra Records. The album features covers of Hammer’s favorite songs, including tunes by the Ramones, the Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy, the Sex Pistols, and the Move, along with a cover of one of their own numbers, “Run Fat Boy Run,” from Hayseed Timebomb.