Cody Canada Drops The Departed Name (But There’s No Drama)

photo: Brad Coolidge

You can’t blame Texas/Red Dirt fans for being a little jumpy these days. After the announcement from the Turnpike Troubadours earlier this year about their indefinite hiatus, and a similar announcement from The Black Lillies just recently, some fans are worried what other bands 2019 might claim before the end of the year. But according to Cody Canada, everything is cool. He’s just decided to simplify things.

Some fans, well … many fans freaked out on Friday, December 27th when they saw that the official social media pages for Cody Canada and The Departed drop ‘The Departed’ part. Despite Cody warning people earlier in the day that they may see some changes and that they were “nothing major,” the fear was that the two piece band behind the former Cross Canadian Ragweed frontman—meaning bass player Jeremy Plato and drummer Eric “Waldo” Hansen—had been let go. But that isn’t the case at all.

“We dropped the name ‘Departed’ from social media, and everybody’s freaking out. But it’s not a big deal,” Cody Canada clarified later in the day in a video post. “To be real honest about you with the name ‘Departed,’ I didn’t name the band. And the person that did is no longer in the band. We’re going to be The Departed still. And I talked it over with Waldo, and I talked it over with Plato. I talked it over with everybody else, and nobody seems to care. In the words of Jeremy and the words of Waldo, as long as we’re together, playing music, and having a good time, it doesn’t matter what it’s called. And I agree with that.”

After Cross Canadian Ragweed dissolved in 2010, Cody Canada formed Cody Canada and the Departed with Ragweed bass player Jeremy Plato, drummer Dave Bowen, Steve Littleton on keyboards, and singer and guitar player Seth James. Early incarnations saw Seth James sing lead on numerous songs, and The Departed was sort of a dual frontman operation. Then Seth James left in September of 2013, and long time Red Dirt drummer Eric “Waldo” Hansen eventually joined the band, and The Departed began touring as a three piece, releasing an album entitled 3 in 2018.

“We’ve kicked around other ideas for band names. I don’t know if we’re gonna do it. I’m not in that big of a hurry to do anything,” Cody Canada continued. “But the music stays the same, the projection stays the same. It’s just going to be a different name eventually. Not right now. But have no fear, The Departed is still here. It’s just not on the social media page … same three dudes making awesome music, just changing some things up.”

Cody Canada is getting ready to be paid tribute by his fellow Texas and Red Dirt musicians at The Music Fest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado come the second week of January. Some rumors were swirling about a Cross Canadian Ragweed reunion of sorts at the festival, but unfortunately for Ragweed fans, that won’t be the case. However there will be plenty of Cody Canada, and other artists singing Ragweed songs.

One of the most legendary bands of Red Dirt, Cross Canadian Ragweed charted four Top 10 records for Universal South before disbanding. They’ve been enjoying a bit of a resurgence of interest lately, including from an new song from Koe Wetzel called “Ragweed” that has received over 4 millions streams on Spotify alone.

Cody Canada will also be at the Hangover’s Ball at Cain’s in Tulsa, Oklahoma on New Years Day, and will also be appearing at Mile 0 Fest in late January in Key West, Florida.

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