In 1985, Alligator Records dropped Showdown!, a three-headed axe grind from blues guitar gods Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray —a lean, electrifying session that still cuts through the noise four decades later. Now, in 2025, Texas Headhunters picks up that torch with a fire all its own.
Ian Moore, Johnny Moeller, and Jesse Dayton—three of Texas’ fiercest fretmen—join forces at last as Texas Headhunters, a band born from deep roots, old friendships, and a shared reverence for the raw, swaggering spirit of Texas blues. Their self-titled debut isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a declaration.
Cut over five days at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales Studio, Texas Headhunters deals 12 tracks of grit, groove, and gut-level truth. No smoke, no mirrors—just seasoned musicians in a room, plugged in and turned up. The chemistry is real. The result is mind blowing.
Clifford Antone looms large in the story of Texas Headhunters—the spiritual godfather of the project, and the man who first recognized the fire in each of its members. All three— Johnny, Jesse, and Ian—were among the last generation of young guns taken under his wing.
“We all go back to Antone’s, man,” says Dayton. “We were the next wave after the greats. Clifford saw something in each of us, and that club—that scene—was our proving ground.”
The idea for Texas Headhunters emerged from a conversation between Dayton and his manager about CliUord’s lasting influence. “You, Ian, and Johnny—y’all were CliUord’s last real discoveries. That’s not nothing. You oughta cut a record together. Feels like it’s time.” Dayton called Moore, who immediately brought up Showdown! as a reference point. When Moeller signed on, the wheels were in motion.
From the first sultry lick of “Pocket” to the final bends of “Burnin’ Daylight,” Texas Headhunters walks the line between swagger and soul—honoring the blues lineage while playing for keeps. “Pocket” sets the tone early: raw, vulnerable, and undeniable. “I love a modern lean into blues,” says Ian Moore. “I’m using this Paoletti guitar—it just had the right snarl.” It’s a standout moment, all ache and punch.
Jesse Dayton’s “Maggie Went Back to Mineola” follows, turning up the heat with a dirt-andneon redemption tale. “A girl from Mineola goes to Dallas and becomes a stripper,” Dayton says. “She gets into all this stuU, then comes home to work at the Dollar General and try to go to church. That’s Ian on lead.”
Johnny Moeller takes the mic on “Everybody Loves You (When You’re Down),” opening with a gut-punch: “When you hit rock bottom, everybody loves you, Jack.” “I knew Johnny had to sing that one,” says Dayton. “He brought this whole vibe—wise, crafty, real as hell. People won’t see that Johnny coming.” read more
