Ian Munsick's 'White Buffalo' celebrates Western culture's country resurgence

Ian Munsick's rise in country music is not just tied to the talent showcased by the 29-year-old Belmont University-educated singer-songwriter on his April 7-released sophomore album "White Buffalo."

Instead, look at two facts that are buffered by a family-defined, authentically rural-living and empathetic take on how country music maintains one's integrity.

First, the Sheridan, Wyoming native's dream gig (whether alone or with his father Dave and brothers Sam and Tris) -- a headlining set in the 19,000-seat stadium at state capitol Cheyenne's annual, 10-day long Frontier Days Rodeo -- is a five-hour drive south of his hometown.

Couple that fact with the Paramount+ television program "Yellowstone" -- which takes place one state north of Wyoming in Montana -- having a fifth-season premiere in 2022 that grew 52 percent year-over-year with 12.1 million live-plus-same-day viewers.

For the first time since John Denver soared to Colorado's "Rocky Mountain High" with pop and Adult Contemporary top-10 success 50 years ago, the American West -- country music's broadest geographical fanbase region -- is having a mainstream pop cultural moment.

For Munsick, Western music derives its unique inspiration from cattle, canyons, coyotes, horses, prairies and mountains.

How that geography defines Western culture -- and refines how various aesthetics of mainstream country music are redefining pop culture -- is also of great importance to him.

"Long Live Cowgirls" -- a Western waltz Munsick, Aby Gutierrez and Phil O'Donnell co-write -- is one of 18 tracks on the release. The song sounds like a tale older than time.

"Life changes inspire creativity in general, but becoming a husband, then father offered me new perspectives on the timelessness of life and love," Munsick says about the writing on the rest of the album.

The release's current single is "Little Man," an homage to his two-year-old son, Crawford.

"Snow cones, Tonka trucks and sleepless nights have taken over my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm a better man because of my little man," offers Munsick.

The song's co-writers, Adam James and Ben Simonetti, both fathers to young boys, benefitted the music by allowing their unique parenting experiences to be reflected.

"Sons teach you how to be a better man by looking at the bright side of the world. I hope toto teach him half as much as he's taught me."

Dig deeper, though, and Munsick's album title honors the prairie-dwelling Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Sioux Indians. Importantly, though Native Americans only comprise roughly three percent of America's population, approximately 75 percent of that population dwells west of the Mississippi River.

The white buffalo is a sacred symbol for the Plains tribes symbolizing prosperity and rebirth. Munsick's father -- rancher, musician and teacher Dave -- has long associated with the various Native American tribes of the region through his classroom work and livestock trading.

The Crow tribes' art, horsemanship and stories have long influenced Munsick. But, to him, offering a complete reflection of the breadth and depth of how his roots inspired him as a musician required "shining a light on the beauty and truth of Native American culture."

"This isn't Hollywood. Where I'm from is the real deal."

Roughly a quarter of the album -- including highlighting the title song's yodels, album closer's pan flutes, "Indian Paintbrush" (an allusion to a perennial, sagebrush-style plant familiar to the West) and "Arrowhead" as worth listening for -- honors those traditions, but also hard work, humility, but respect for the Earth, planet and people as hallmarks of his career.

Mention to Munsick another hallmark of his work that he may share with others -- like Garth Brooks, claiming Kaycee, Wyoming-born bronze sculptor, country music singer-songwriter and hall of fame rodeo champion Chris LeDoux as one of his greatest inspirations -- and Munsick laughs.

"Before he was an artist, Chris LeDoux was a real rodeo cowboy. I was too afraid of getting stepped on by bulls and horses to be as brave as he was to do that, too," Munsick says. "Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were singing cowboys who put on the clothes, but -- by comparison to Chris LeDoux -- they weren't as natural as he was."

Munsick's current touring schedule feels like an endless barnstorming run of 3,000-15,000-seat venues nationwide. Thus, LeDoux's "electrifying rodeo rock 'n roll" doesn't quite have him adapting headset microphones like fellow LeDoux fan Brooks, but instead developing his onstage persona to reflect more of his entertaining style.

"I know that I'm helping people escape from cell phone screens and the hustle and bustle of modern life," Munsick states frankly.

Take one listen to "White Buffalo's" "Barnburner" and that LeDoux-style drive for smile-inducing entertainment becomes evident.

The song's story of an angered ex-boyfriend being accused of -- but not admitting to -- burning down his girlfriend's barn sounds like the "after she cheats" epilogue to Carrie Underwood's 18-year-old classic country hit.

"There's a lot of songs about women in country music getting redemption on the men -- but not the other way around," Munsick jokes.

Munsick adds a reflective note about his success and why it's growing.

"People are intrigued by where I'm from," says Munsick. "Being a cowboy is trendy right now in a way that the actuality of living that life isn't. However, more than anything, it's as simple as realizing that, more than anything else, the Earth and its land are magical and beautiful."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ian Munsick's 'White Buffalo' celebrates Western culture's country resurgence