You only need to watch Cedar Falls band Katie and the Honky Tonks cover Loretta Lynn’s 1973 smash “Rated X” to understand the rich and influential legacy of women in country music on which they stand. (Luckily, you can: Gallagher Bluedorn has an archive of “Local Legends,” a pandemic-spawned virtual series, on their YouTube channel.)
Katie and the Honky Tonks only began five years ago, but the band’s story starts over 15 years back, with a band now-spouses Luke and Katie Sires started with Harper Sires. When Katie moved to the West Coast, Luke and Harper brought Joel Sires into the band, leading to the formation of Iowa legends TWINS. After Katie moved back to Iowa and married Luke, the pair naturally started making music together again.
After a few years of gigging regularly and building a reputation as a fun live act covering classic country songs with classic country style, it seemed inevitable that the band would take advantage of Katie’s years of songwriting to record some original tunes.
The resulting EP, Two-Steppin’ in the Shower, has all the honky-tonk ingredients that the golden age of country music is known for: great hooks and harmonies; relatable, honest lyrics; and PEDAL STEEL, DAMMIT. That vintage vibe is bolstered by the fact that the band recorded the basic tracks live to two-inch tape at Catamount Recordings in Cedar Falls with minimal overdubs.
The lead track, “Boo Hoo,” opens with a great rolling riff on the Telecaster in the right channel. Then the pedal steel rides in from the left with swells that recall the legend Don Helms’s work on Patsy Cline’s hits. This is the opening of an anthem calling someone out on their bullshit. The snark delivered in the line “Sure I’ll take the blame / That ain’t no new thing / Since the victim is a role that you were born to play” is delicious in its cutting. A flipping drum fill at “Some time has passed / and the vibes have changed” punctuates that the storyteller has moved on. Dueling solos between the Telecaster and the pedal steel are pure gold.
The standout song on Two-Steppin’ in the Shower is the title track — a flirty, sassy devotional to a man who treats his lady right. The song is packed with hooks-a-plenty, but my favorite is where the beat stops after she sings, “Caught my eye with those tight cowboy cuts.” The swirling guitars, pedal steel and B3 organ provide a delicious cloud for Katie’s vocals. It’s a brilliantly fun track destined for party mixes this summer.
Country music is currently going through an identity crisis. Dolly Parton’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and subsequent star-studded rock album; Diplo’s two country EPs under the name Thomas Wesley, as well as his DJ sets at Stagecoach; Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and the announcement of her upcoming country album — while very entertaining, these all feel like a faddish embrace of the genre.
That Katie and the Honky Tonks cleave closely to a classic country sound both in tribute and as a starting point to their original music reminds us the roots of that tall tree run deep and are essential to supporting new growth. Here’s to more new growth from Katie and the Honky Tonks.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s March 2024 issue.
