Formed in New Orleans in 1990, Cowboy Mouth grew out of the ashes of the Backbeats and quickly developed a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in the South. Drummer and co-vocalist Fred LeBlanc — who performs standing up, facing the crowd — became the band’s galvanizing center, part ringmaster and part preacher, demanding total participation from every person in the room. Guitarist and co-vocalist Paul Sanchez, a formidable songwriter in his own right, provided the melodic and lyrical substance that made the anthems stick.
Their major-label debut Word of Mouth (1996, MCA) introduced them to a national audience, yielding the college rock staple “Jenny Says.” The song captured everything that made Cowboy Mouth special: a chanted, participatory refrain, emotional directness, and the sense that it was written to be performed live to thousands of people. Subsequent releases on Monkey Hill and other labels continued to develop their anthemic rock sound while never losing the raw energy that defined them.
Through lineup changes and label transitions, the core of Cowboy Mouth has endured. They remain one of the hardest-working bands in New Orleans, playing upward of 150 shows a year. The city’s emotional directness, its love of ceremony and communal ritual, runs through everything they do. Paul Sanchez eventually pursued a parallel solo career of considerable distinction, but Cowboy Mouth has continued, with Fred LeBlanc as its irreplaceable heartbeat.
