Cody Jinks‘ path in music might be unconventional to some, but to others, it just adds to his greatness.
Some artists learn to play guitar by watching their family members, or maybe their passion for music started at an early age. And some just pick up a guitar one night out of boredom, catch the bug, and never put it back down… but either way, the story of how an artist got started in music always piques my interest.
Some folks have been doing it their whole lives, like Zach Top, who has been touring in a family band for nearly a decade. Or you have new up-and-comers who blow up overnight and haven’t been playing music for more than a couple of years, like Hudson Westbrook. And then there are some artists like Luke Combs and Charles Wesley Godwin didn’t even know how gifted they were until they picked up a guitar and just started singing.. they were born with it. Each story is unique, and each story is worth hearing.
However, for some artists, the way they get started in music has nothing to do with the genre they call home today. Cody Jinks is one of those artists. The Texas Troubadour is the ultimate example of a trailblazing, independent country artists. Jinks is the blueprint for earning a loyal fan base on the road, penning hits with authentic and vulnerable lyrics, and capturing the hearts of country listeners without a major label behind him.
Sometimes, it feels like Jinks was born to be the Texas outlaw we see on stage today. And while there is probably truth in that statement, Jinks didn’t start his music career in the Texas country scene. Jinks was first a member of a heavy metal band called Unchecked Aggression.
Jinks first picked up a guitar when he was 15, with his dad showing him a few chords on an acoustic guitar. By the time he was 16, he could play a little better and was gifted a Fender Squire Stratocaster for his birthday. From the first time he touched an electric guitar, Jinks knew he wanted to rock.
Even though he claims that the first song he learned was Lefty Frizzell’s “Long Black Veil,” he was not yet bitten by the country bug, leading him to start his first band, a rock and roll metal band.
“When I was 17, me and some buddies started our first garage band and went through several names and lineup changes. That band became Unchecked Aggression: the first band that actually made a real record. Other incarnations had made demos going back to high school, but I was 21 when our first record came out (technically, our only record). We beat around the DFW area for a few years and built a pretty loyal following, but we weren’t managed and made almost no money, so we went to LA.”
However, Los Angeles was not the place for them. After returning to his home in Fort Worth, Jinks got married and had a few odd jobs, but he was itching to get back to music.
“I didn’t choose music, music chose me, and it’s what I’m here to do.”
In 2007, Jinks chose to pursue music full-time and dedicated his life to the road. Jinks feels that his path in music has been unlike many others, but others might argue that his experimentation and learning the ins and outs of the music business on his own are the reasons he’s so successful today.
“My path has been unique to say the least: I’ve never really fit in with the music business or agreed with how things are done. I came from a DIY punk mindset of doing things the way I want to do them. When I was starting out, I was in a metal band and we learned how to book ourselves, put on shows, and record in a studio.
Later on, I learned how to manage a band and route shows, which turned into booking our own tours. Our long-time bass player, Josh Thompson, and I did that for the first six years we played together. We had to learn to do everything, and we never stopped. We have also had great help from amazing people on the way to where we are now.”
Fun fact, Jinks scratched the metal itch a few years back with his band Caned By Nod, who released their debut album None The Wiser in 2021.
Now, as Jinks gears up to release his 11th studio record, In My Blood, he has one of the most loyal fan bases out there.
His fans come to his shows to rock out and let loose. In a Country Vs. Metal podcast interview, Jinks compared his fan base to Slayer, noting that because elements of metal are intertwined into his music today, his shows are an experience unlike others.
“Taking the mentality of metal music and putting it in, right, and wearing that into the fabric of my music, that’s helped us create a grassroots effort that gives us the country music equivalent of Slayer fans.”
Before you go, fire up his latest single, “Found.”
In My Blood Tracklist:
Better Than the Bottle
Lost Highway
The Others
In My Blood (ft. Blackberry Smoke)
Something Wicked This Way Comes
See the Man
When You Can’t Remember
Lonely Man
Monster
Found
When Time Didn’t Fly
Cody Jinks 2025 Tour Dates
May 29, 2025–Columbia, MO–9th Street*
May 30, 2025–Franklin, TN–FirstBank Amphitheater*
May 31-June 1, 2025–Lexington, KY–Railbird Festival
June 5, 2025–St. Catherines, ON–Meridian Centre^
June 6, 2025–Toronto, ON–Coca-Cola Coliseum^
June 7, 2025–Laval, QC–Place Bell^
June 26, 2025–Nampa, ID–Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater*
June 27, 2025–Idaho Falls, ID–Mountain America Center*
June 28, 2025–Casper, WY–Ford Wyoming Center*
July 4, 2025–Abbotsford, BC–Abbotsford Centre^
July 5, 2025–Kelowna, BC–Prospera Place^
July 10, 2025–Wheatland, CA–Hard Rock Live*
July 11, 2025–Stateline, NV–Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys*
July 12, 2025–Berkeley, CA–Greek Theatre UC Berkeley*
July 17, 2025–Kent, WA–accesso ShoWare Center*
July 18, 2025–Redmond, OR–Fairwell Festival
July 19, 2025–Airway Heights, WA–Northern Quest Amphitheater*
July 26, 2025–Morrison, CO–Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 7, 2025–Asbury Park, NJ–Stone Pony Summer Stage#
August 8, 2025–Philadelphia, PA– The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark#
August 9, 2025–Baltimore, MD–Pier Six Pavilion*
August 11, 2025–Virginia Beach, VA–The Dome#
August 13, 2025–New York, NY–The Rooftop at Pier 17#
August 15, 2025–Bridgeport, CT–Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater*
August 16, 2025–Boston, MA–Leader Bank Pavilion*
August 17, 2025–Syracuse, NY–Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview*
September 10, 2025–Pryor, OK–Born and Raised Festival
September 13, 2025–Temple, TX–Tanglefoot Festival
September 18, 2025–Des Moines, IA–Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park*
September 19, 2025–Indianapolis, IN–Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park*
September 20, 2025–Youngstown, OH–Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre*
December 12, 2025–Las Vegas, NV–The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas^
December 13, 2025–Las Vegas, NV–The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas^
*with Tanner Usrey
^with Ward Davis
#with Shane Smith & The Saints
