bois d'arc (b'O-"dark) n. 1. An ornamental,
usually thorny, hard wood American tree. 2. Country/Rock band from North
Texas playing hard country music.
In the small North
Texas German town of Muenster about 80 miles north of Dallas in a small,
rundown shack, The Bois d'Arcs get together each week to hone their craft
into what they call an alt-country, roots rock, Americana or whatever the
newest name for it may be, band. The sound is basic but very infectious.
For their much anticipated first release, Horseapple Pie & Lemonade, the
band went into the studio with the mind-set of not overproducing, much like
what other bands of their genre are doing. Without fiddle or steel guitar,
some may say it's not what they call "country music", but with a sound that
combines blues, rock, honky-tonk and bluegrass, it is purely Texas.
All the songs on Horseapple Pie & Lemonade were written by Shayne Wimmer,
lead vocalist and rhythm guitar. It's hard to describe his stylings because
they vary so immensely. Growing up on Willie, Waylon, & David Allan Coe, as
the first cut One of These Days explains, along with his years in a rock
band, seem to have shaped his music.
In their short time together, The Bois d'Arcs have developed a following
of their hometown fans, as expected, but they have also branched out into
other areas of the state by playing various nightclubs in Texas and
Oklahoma. They have played at several outdoor festivals. They have shared
the stage with the likes of Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jack Ingram, Pat Green, Bruce
& Charlie Robison, Jerry Jeff Walker, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland,
and others.
The Bois d'Arcs have
consisted of many members over the years, but they have finally found the
right combination of musicians to complete their sound. The four members
are: Shayne Wimmer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Chris Stewart (lead guitar,
backing vocals), Joseph McCoy (bass guitar), and Ian Desmuke (percussion,
backing vocals). 
Each member has spent their share of time in mostly rock and blues bands.
Shayne, the founding member of the band, spent many years in rock bands
before switching to the music he grew up on. Ian was tutored by Mitch
Marine, who spent time with Dwight Yoakam. Joseph has played in many rock
bands in the Deep Ellum scene of Dallas. Chris has spent all of his years in
the country music scene.
Together they have found a sound that is totally their own. And as long
as they have an audience, whether 1 or 10,000, they will continue to spread
their brand of Texas Music.
