Newcomers to country JB and the Moonshine Band are roughing up the Texas charts with catchy melodies and a rugged appeal.

The foursome met when advertising executive and future band front man JB Patterson listed an open casting call for musicians on his website. Turnout for the audition was small; only three people showed up, but three was enough. The group had an impromptu jam session, and as JB describes it, “It was obvious. Halfway through the first song, I knew they were the Moonshine Band.” 

After a successful first show at a local honky-tonk, JB and the boys were willing to do whatever it took to get their songs played on Texas radio: “Our motto was if anybody offered us a gig, we would play it. We were going to play every show we could until someone put us on the radio.” With a jerry-rigged PA system and a rented U-Haul van, the boys travelled through East Texas, gaining a local following.

The group’s big break came while opening for Average Joes Entertainment recording artist Colt Ford in March of 2010. The band’s country sound and outlaw attitude immediately caught the attention of Colt’s team, and a few months later, JB and the Moonshine Band signed a record deal with Average Joes.

Influenced by everyone from country royalty like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, to the rockers of Metallica and hip hop legend Tupac, JB and the Moonshine Band record a gritty mix of contemporary country and Texas twang with a little rock and roll thrown in for good measure.

The band’s debut album, “Ain’t Goin Back to Jail” premiered in September of 2010, with Gabe Guevara on drums, Hayden McMullen on lead guitar, Chris Flores on bass guitar and harmony vocals and JB providing lead vocals and rhythm guitar on several tracks. JB also serves as the band’s lyricist, writing all of the songs on the record, which is an accomplishment he’s particularly proud of: “What I like is that we write our own songs—I sing my own songs, and I think that adds an element of authenticity that you can’t find much anymore. We’re not super polished, we’re not overproduced, we’re raw, we’re real, and we don’t apologize for it.”

During the fall of 2010 JB and the Moonshine band will continue to tour in Texas promoting their debut album.