Nick Shoulders at the Codfish Hollow Barn -- July 26.
Sunday, July 26, 8 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
Touring in support of his 2025 release Refugia Blues hailed by Holler Country Music as "a raw, resolute version of American country music, stacked high with songs that go down easy but linger in the minds of those willing to invest the time," singer/songwriters Nick Shoulders headlines a July 26 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the artist also lauded by Saving Country Music as "one of the most gifted and curious singers/yodelers/whistlers of our time."
A 36-year-old native of Little Rock, Arkansas, who grew up in the state's Roland, Shoulders began his professional career playing drums in the Fayetteville band Thunderlizards, playing drums. The outfit played punk rock with some country elements, and after Shoulders' Thunderlizards tenure, he started working with Shawn James, another country singer and whistler, and played banjo for him. Following a tour with James, Shoulders embarked on a career as a solo performer, releasing the 2027 recording Lonely Like Me. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas: “His music rapidly gained popularity after Western AF and Gems on VHS posted videos of his music on YouTube in 2020. In September 2023, he charted on Billboard for the first time, ranking No. 58 on the Top Current Album Sales chart for his album All Bad (2023) and No. 30 on the Emerging Artists chart.
“Shoulders has criticized modern country music for the genre’s disconnection from regional and historical contexts. In a 2020 article, 'Fake Twang: How Conservatism Stole Country Music,' Shoulders expressed concern about the whitewashing of country music. He is an advocate for uplifting country music’s diverse, working-class roots while emphasizing the importance of reckoning with the violent history of the South. Specifically, he reminds people of country music’s pan-racial origin, citing the influence of Celtic, East African, Indigenous American, Latin American, French Canadian, and Hawaiian musical traditions. His songs often explore topics such as slavery, the displacement of Native Americans, ecological destruction, and the problems with conservative politics.
“Shoulders frequently performs both in person and on social media to raise money for various causes. In 2024, he released a protest ballad, 'Apocalypse Never,' to raise money for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund and Doctors Without Borders. His outspoken political beliefs have made him a controversial figure among some country music fans. After he was booked to play a concert at Songbirds Foundation in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2022, the organization received complaints on social media from people unhappy about Shoulders’s political opinions.
“In fall 2020, Shoulders co-founded Gar Hole Records alongside Kurt DeLashmet, the founder of the Fayetteville record label Tape Dad. Shoulders creates all the art on his album covers, tour posters, and merchandise, and his visual art can also be found on murals at the Little Bread Company and the Smoke and Barrel Tavern in Fayetteville, as well as on beer cans designed for the Fossil Cove Brewing Company.
“His musical style has been described as progressive country, outlaw country, old-time country, and folk, though he often describes his music as 'grandpa music.' He splits his time between New Orleans and Fayetteville.”
Nick Shoulders headlines his Maquoketa engagement on July 26 with additional sets by Adeem the Artist and Agalisika Mackie, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $30-35, and more information and tickets are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
