Dirty River Boys with Chris Colston

The Dirty River Boys are paving their own road as they travel it. They are a testament to the idea that “if you can dream it, you can do it,” moving with determination ever closer to the light. Above all is their belief in their music. It motivates them and provides exultation for each member, as well as for the audiences who have become fans by the force field the band creates in live performance.

Steely intention aside, there is a magic to being in the right place with the right stuff at the right time. Home in El Paso, the Dirty River Boys yearned to make music the centerpiece of their lives. Then they played their very first Austin gig, a happy hour set at hipster haunt, Lustre Pearl. The music they presented was energetic and infectious, though stripped down acoustic. The joy was unmistakable. And a new path with exciting possibilities was being born. The band migrated to Austin shortly thereafter, where they thrive amidst the other musicians in town, and love the strong sense of community they found. “Being in Austin, with so many great bands, it makes you up your game.”

East Texas native, Chris Colston has recently sent a storm sweeping through the Texas/ Red Dirt scene with the release of his 2018 EP, “Gone.” The title track surpassed a half-million streams on Spotify in just a few short months after its release and with that, Colston set the bar quite high for himself as well as other upcoming artists in the scene.

Colston’s musical story began when his stepfather signed him up for drum lessons at the age of 7. He knew immediately that he wanted to be a musician and a few years later he picked up the guitar. At 17, Colston formed his first band and they hit the road playing everywhere they could. Colston’s music is heavily influenced by some of the greats he grew up listening to like Lynard Skynard, The Allman Brothers and country legends Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. His musical sound has continued to grow with inspiration from Whiskey Myers and Blackberry Smoke. Listening to them helped Colston curate his own style of what he describes as “gritty Texas roots combined with a little blues and rock n’ roll.” His powerful vocals are undeniable and his honest, relatable lyrics resonate with his rapidly growing fan base creating a product you cannot deny.

Colston is already back in the studio pushing the limits of his song writing. New music is expected to be released in 2019.