Texacala Jones! The Queen of Cowpunk! Singer of the Legendary Tex & The Horseheads. If you were lucky enough to catch one of their live show's in Los Angeles in the 80's or even across The States or Europe during one of their tours you know your one of the fortunate ones. While all good things must come to an end, they did leave us 3 amazing records including the classic debut "Tex & The Horseheads" w/ the awesome cover by "Mad" Marc Rude. Some of the other artists Ms Jones has performed or recorded with include Johnette Napolitano, John Doe, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Iris Berry, Dave Catchings, D.J. Bonebrake, Paul Cutler, Davy Vain, Richie Ramone. She relocated to Austin from Los Angeles & judging by the music she's been creating while living in Texas it was a good move!


Hey Tex, How's Austin been treating you?

Hey Billy, Austin & I have been treating each other very nice, I'm trying not to leave a big ole footprint & i ain't got the boot!

What inspired you to move from Los Angeles to Austin?

Some serious Cowpunkin' tell you what!

Are there any plans to come back to California?

Possibly, I've had some offers.


When did you first discover that you wanted to be a singer?

When i was about 6 I jumped on a chair at a Birthday party and sang Bingo and tears were running down my face! I loved that song so much! Everyone turned around and watched me, before that nobody cared so I knew something was up.

What music are you listening to these days?

This morning I was listening to "Place in Space" by Sun Ra. It's always different thanks to the internet. Also all the great local bands when I go out night clubbin' like Screech of Death, Stabbys, Surlys.

Texacala's new band HEY!

So you currently have a band called Hey! that your formed w/ Bassist Lisafer, Can ya tell us about the band?

Hey! started out being Folxpunk, it was just Lisafer on Bass and I would sing and play Guitar but since I don't play leads she played lead Bass & I played Scratchy Guitar. It was just for fun because we played covers like "Folsum Prison Blues" & "Sex Beat" stuff like that. But we really wanted to rock out so we hooked up with Allen Boatwright from Piss Poor and I'm Gorgeous Inside. Then Chelsea Taylor took over on Guitar..Thank the ----! Her father is a Guitar legend and she grew up playing. So then Stephen Worley showed up and we got Fiddles and other colors.

Who's in the band?

Drums: Allen Boatwright, Bass: Lisa "Lisafer" Phifer, Guitar: Chelsea Taylor, Fiddle: Stephen Worley, Vocals: Texacala Jones and all the folx above.


Are there any plans to bring Hey! into the studio?

Yes, we're working on that now.

Are you performing any Horseheads songs in Hey!?

Definitely, they're fun to play live, we do our own versions too.

History of TEX & THE HORSEHEADS and some punk rock trivia!

A lot of folks don't know that it was actually Jeffrey Lee Pierce from The Gun Club that started Tex & The Horseheads for you.

Well Jeffrey showed me The Gun Club Slide Guitar parts but after one show we found out my talent did not lie w/ the strings. Anyway he really wanted me to sing even thou most people found my voice "horrifying"!! He found it quite pleasing! Plus he really wanted to play some "Jimmy" Guitar. So we got David "Rock" Thumb on Drums and his brother John on Bass. Then we whoopt out our twistee rhythm & blues arrangements and it was really something! You should of heard Jeffrey make that Guitar wail crazy!! and the young Thumb brothers hittin' it! Whooo!!!! Our 1st show was opening for The Circle Jerks at The Cathey & it was my happy day! One of the songs we recorded "Got Love" (Slim Harpo) ended up on a flexie disk inside a scene zeen out of Boston called "Take it" (1982-issue 6) On the disk is The Flesheaters, Meat Puppets & Tex and The Horseheads.

How long did it take to record that Classic first record "Tex & The Horseheads" w/ the awesome "Mad" Marc Rude artwork on the cover?

It took 3 days, 1 day for basic tracks then 2 days for overdubs, vocals & mixing.


What was it like working w/ John Doe from X as the producer of the 2nd record "Life's so cool?

He commands respect and gets the job done and thanks to him it's a pretty nice recording.

You guys went and toured Europe in 1987 and while in Holland the band recorded the live record "Tot Ziens" How did that come together?

Enigma thought a live recording would be nice so they sent the sound trucks to Den Hague Holland. Mojo Nixon did a fabulous introduction and the show was pretty ripping'...I was trying to chill but some kids talked me into swiggin' some Jack & I told some stupid jokes!! Oh Well!! Ha Ha!!!

What are some of your favorite Tex and The Horseheads songs recorded or performed?

"Got Love" (Slim Harpo) was my 1st recording and it's true what they say about ones 1st time, My head almost hit the moon I was so excited! "Oh Mother" is probably the most beautiful song I was ever privileged to sing, it was written by David "Rock" Thumb. But when I'm doing a song it's like it's the only song in the world & I'm fully in love, but when we're on to the next song I feel the same way about it too! I'm a Musical Mormon!!

I love the song you wrote "Big House Part 3" on the "Life's So Cool" record, what's it about?

After having the repeating dream I wondered if I would end up there again then I realized I never left. I would always be in Part 3, where running the gauntlet would always change and never end."

Recording w/ CONCRETE BLONDE & other projects...

The song you wrote and recorded w/ Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano "One of my kind" For The "Mexican Moon " so good!

Thank you, we wrote the song together but Johnette was the leading force.

She's great, I wanted to ask you about the song "Arrow" that you wrote and recorded w/ Davy Vain.

Well we were both at our managers house hanging out and he was helping me out w/ a song that needed a chorus but it morphed into "Arrow"...Kat (our manager) loved it and had us in the studio the next day recording it.


Have you recorded w/ any other folks since moving out to Texas?

For a long time I was in Texacala Jones and Her TJ Hookers, we recorded a CD by the same name which is available on Amazon. Also I recorded some tunes w/ some friends such as Walter Daniels, Marco Butcher, Good For You & Amberjack Rice. Last year I did a song over my phone for Steve & John over in Missouri, it was a morphed out version of "The End" for a Doors tribute for France.

Are there any plans to record w/ other artists we can look forward to?

Yes, Definitely, I'll let you know w/ who as soon as I can!

You know i had a great time playing in Texorcist w/ you, Dave Catchings & Louie Dufau, we had an amazing band, it's too bad we never released any records.

We were all set to record for Triple X Records remember? We were all practiced up, we had the studio time all set & we had that beautiful artwork by Marc Rude but the lawyer wouldn't sign and I was never told why, Dang it!! All that's left is a scratchy old cassette tape!

We also had a great time w/ Burnin' Bridges in the 90's, The songs we recorded w/ Richie Ramone producing were posted on a ReverbNation page under Burnin' Bridges. I love your singing on "Would they love him down in Shreveport Today?" The George Jones song we covered.


"Mary & Patty were so beautiful gorgeous on that song, I wish I could do my vocals all over again thou, I'd fix a few things.

Please! Your singin' on those recordings was amazing! 3/4th's of Burnin' Bridges, Tony Portillo, George Foster is playing w/ me Silverstar, It's basically Burnin" Bridges w/ Tony West singing so we're still carrying the torch.

Wowy! I'd love to hear ya!

So last question Tex, are there any plans to form a new version of Tex & The Horseheads w/ Lisafer?

Yes!! In fact we have already released a brand spankin' new recording called "Fair" available on itunes and most download stores. Yea baby!!!! more surprises to come!! Here are some links for the readers
https://www.facebook.com/#!/heyisforhorseheads
https://www.facebook.com/#!/OfficialTexandTheHorseheads
https://www.facebook.com/#!/texacala.jones?fref=ts


Thanks Tex for the interview and all the great music you've been a part of...Keep doing what ya do cause ya do it so good!