Jinks sees double

"It was very different recording them at the same time. Literally, it was being in one studio and walking next door and going from this beautiful country song that we're doing to just this really angry metal song, flipping a switch," he said. "The actual art of writing was the only thing I really had to focus on to keep myself sane...the song comes first. If I'm not writing a great song, then I'm dead in the water. I really, really focused on being a better wordsmith."

The two releases were both produced and engineered by Edward Spear (Blackberry Smoke, Devon Gilfillian, Rival Sons) and recorded simultaneously at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.

On "Mercy," Jinks plays country sound, incorporating traditional elements with soul, rock and blues. The songs were written entirely during quarantine, featuring collaborations with Chris Shiflett, Kendell Marvel, Adam Hood, TN Jet, Josh Morningstar, Greg C. Jones and Ward Davis, as well as Jinks' wife, Rebecca.

"None The Wiser" takes its cues from classic rock, thrash metal and psychedelic-tinged grunge and marks a full circle moment for Jinks, who performed in a metal band two decades ago before making the shift to country music. The 10 tracks on "None The Wiser," all of which he wrote with his past bandmate Ben Heffley, are a mix of old and new, some written as recently as this year, while others date back to the early 2000s.

"In addition to Jinks (vocals), "Mercy" features his longtime band - Joshua Thompson (bass, background vocals), Chris Claridy (lead guitar, acoustic guitar), Austin Tripp (steel guitar, Dobro), David Colvin (drums, percussion ) and Drew Harakal (keys, acoustic guitar, background vocals)—while Caned By Nod is Jinks (vocals, guitar), Jacob Lentner (guitars), Aksel Coe (drums) and Calvin Knowles (bass).

Jinks will spend much of the next year on the road including upcoming shows New Orleans' Saenger Theatre (three nights, two sold-out), Las Vegas' The Chelsea (three nights, all sold-out), Richmond's Virginia Credit Union Live, Asheville's Harrah's Cherokee Center and Austin's Nutty Brown Amphitheater (sold-out) as well as a special performance at Stagecoach 2022.

"Mercy" track list:
1. All It Cost Me Was Everything
2. Hurt You
3. Mercy
4. Feeding the Flames
5. I Don't Trust My Memories Anymore
6. Like a Hurricane
7. How It Works
8. Nobody Knows How to Read
9. Shoulders
10. Dying Isn't Cheap
11. Roll
12. When Whiskey Calls the Shots

"None the Wiser" track list
Middle Finger
2. Dying Trying
3. None the Wiser
4. Seeing Ghosts
5. Covet
Led Astray
7. Half a Life
8. Can't Hide the Truth
9. Broken Wings
10. Eyes

Tour dates:
Sept. 2-5 — New Orleans — Saenger Theatre+
Sept. 9 — Richmond, Va. — Virginia Credit Union Live!
Sept. 17 — Pryor, Okla. — Born & Raised Music Festival
Sept. 25 — Austin — Nutty Brown Amphitheater# (sold old)
Oct. 9—Asheville, N.C. — Harrah's Cherokee Center
Dec. 2- 5—Las Vegas — The Chelsea+ (sold out)
April 29-May 1, 2022 — Indio, CA—Stagecoach Festival 2022

+ with special guest Randy Rogers Band
# with special guest Travis Tritt