Texas Headhunters reveal “Bigshot”

Texas Headhunters have released “Bigshot,” the latest single from their upcoming album, Rise & Shine, due October 9 via Hardcharger / Blue Élan Records.

The trio of Ian Moore, Johnny Moeller and Jesse Dayton returned last summer with their self-titled debut album. “Bigshot,” written by Moore, offers another preview of the band’s follow-up and blends a Bo Diddley-inspired groove with fuzz-heavy guitars and elements of blues and rock.

“I like telling stories,” Moore says. “I was driving with my wife and saw an overpass that said, ‘Big Shot Cyrus James.’ It sparked this character in my head—a New Orleans guy, kind of like a Mardi Gras Indian. Whenever somebody asks his name, he just says, ‘I’m a big shot.’ There’s a little Bo Diddley and Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson in there.”

Moore also pointed to the trust between the three musicians as an important part of the band’s songwriting process.

“People ask how we know the songs are good. It’s because we all really trust each other’s taste. That gives me confidence in the material.”

Moore, Moeller and Dayton have each spent more than three decades building careers across blues, rock, country and Americana. Texas Headhunters brings the three guitarists together in a collaborative project built around their individual playing and songwriting styles.

“Bigshot” follows the band’s recent single “Cut N’ Run” as Texas Headhunters continue to preview Rise & Shine ahead of its October 9 release.