With one foot in traditional country music and another exploring new sonic frontiers, Doug Armento and the Iron Mules are steadily breaking trail with their own gritty brand of what many would label “Outlaw Country”. What originally started out as a father/son duo has quickly morphed into a hard-driving, alternative country band. Bassist, Dane Snow, and veteran drummer, Todd Sprague, have brought their own unique talents to the band, providing a solid rhythm section and excellent backing vocals.

Frontman, Doug Armento, along with his sideman son, Doug Armento Jr., on lead guitar, bring a very dynamic and powerful chemistry to the stage. Doug Sr’s bold, “old school” country vocal style, coupled with Doug Jr’s highly innovative country/rock/blues guitar licks are a combination that give this band their own distinct sound. Doug Sr. says, “ This music has been tattooed deep into my DNA over the years and my son ended up with a double shot of it. He puts his own, unique guitar signature over the top of what I do and there’s a certain magic that happens. There’s nothing more rewarding than working out that chemistry on stage and sharing it with the audience.”

As a performing songwriter, Doug Armento takes his craft seriously. “I grew up in one of the best time periods of Country music. I cut my musical teeth on all the greats; Waylon, Willie, Hank, Merle and Johnny. I watched them perform many times back in the day. There’s no doubt they had a huge musical influence on me. We cover a lot of the classics at our shows and breathe new life into them, but we also have lots of our own material. I’ve been blessed with a burning desire to constantly create, so new music is rolling out all the time. I love to connect with our listeners, share my life stories and expose my soul through song. Having my band firing on all cylinders and making that connection with people is really all I want”.

Doug Armento and the Iron Mules are set to release their debut album in the spring of 2019, sporting thirteen original tunes. Many of the tracks have regional themes including “Salmon River Caveman”, “Mountains of Idaho”, “Damn Desert Town” and “Montello Rose”. One of Doug’s newest compositions, “58 GMC”, is a song about bonding with his youngest son while building a classic truck (which is proudly featured in the band photo). The band can be seen performing regularly at several local Treasure Valley venues such as Pengilly’s Saloon, The Ranch Club and Indian Creek Steakhouse/Saloon.