Cody Jinks Joins Casper McWade to Cover Alice in Chains
For the benefit of a good cause, reigning Saving Country Music Artist of the Year Cody Jinks has joined forces with Oklahoma-based Outlaw country artist Casper McWade to cover the song “Don’t Follow” by Alice in Chains. Perfect for a country rendition since the original version written by Jerry Cantrell and released in 1994 was performed with acoustic guitars and underpinned by harmonica, Casper McWade hits this one out of the park with Cody’s assistance.
“Every dollar that we make from this is going to the Military Assistance Program,” says Casper. “Our military men and women need us right now. This COVID-19 thing is a big scare especially for out Veterans. We’re doing everything we can to help them out. You like Cody Jinks? You like Alice in Chains? You like Casper McWade? Let’s hope so.”
From Shawnee, Oklahoma, Casper is one of those artists that’s too rough-and-tumble for the Nashville scene or Texas/Red Dirt, but has garnered a following between the margins. Some may recognize his name as the co-writer on the song “Whiskey” recorded on Cody’s latest album The Wanting.
“It’s a beautiful song. It a beautifully tragic and painful song,” Cody Jinks says of “Don’t Follow.” “Super cool thing that Casper’s done. Very selfless act that Casper’s done that is hopefully gonna generate some things to help the men and women that come back that need assistance, because God bless them, they’ve been in some bad situations. Happy to be a part of that.”
In this difficult time, there are a lot of hands out looking for assistance, making it hard to know where best to be. But in this instance, all you have to do is listen or download to help out. The song is available On Spotify, on iTunes, and on Google Play, and/or watch the video below.
April 5, 2020 @ 9:21 am
Dare I say better than the original? WOW!
April 5, 2020 @ 9:37 am
They had no clue how to record acoustic guitars in the early 90’s, and everybody was trying to do it due to the popularity of MTV’s Unplugged. You never can replace the original, but I prefer this version more.
April 5, 2020 @ 2:54 pm
Though I would mostly agree with you about the acoustic guitar sounds of the 90s (better that the 80s but way worse than the 70s), I’m not sure they were going for a standard acoustic guitar sound on Jar of Flies. I remember hearing this for the first time, and also listening now, they got some sort of atypical, hybrid plugged in sound. Though I wouldn’t like that sound on most records, especially country, I think that it was pretty unique sound they got, and added to the quirky, dark vibe of the album overall. Just my opinion.
April 6, 2020 @ 5:51 am
Agree. The Jinks verse didn’t grab me as much as the other, but still, a great cover.
April 6, 2020 @ 5:14 am
No. Not even close
April 6, 2020 @ 1:50 pm
I’m inclined to agree. I appreciate the sentiment behind the new recording, but everything about this version is inferior to the original. It’s not bad, but it lacks the emotional potency and atmosphere of the original Alice In Chains track. That said, it’s not bad on its own terms and I have nothing but admiration for their intentions.
April 5, 2020 @ 9:30 am
Cool all the way around. Never been the biggest fan of Alice In Chains, but Jar of Flies is a great album.
April 5, 2020 @ 10:01 am
The echo chamber is absolutely off the charts on this site. Cody has a lackluster voice (At best) and this cover & article are corny as it gets. Just the drama of the writing alone and the responses warrants me to say I wouldn’t be surprised if Triggerman is writing the some of the responses himself. “Reigning SCM artist of the year” has about as much weight to it as “outlaw male of the year” — which is weightless.
April 5, 2020 @ 11:35 am
So to you, an echo chamber isn’t actually same narrative outlets and journalists all repeating and amplifying the same talking points. Instead, it’s traditional country music fans in a comment section, mostly agreeing with the author of a website called “Saving Country Music,” about a great traditional sounding country music artist.
Got it. You’re really on to something here.
April 5, 2020 @ 12:07 pm
Your daddy should’ve pulled out….
April 6, 2020 @ 12:01 pm
Well Sarah. This is a strange comment. But I gotta give it to you for managing to disparage the maximum amount of people possible with one short paragraph. Let’s see, here is a short list of who you have taken a cheap shot at: Cody Jinks, Alice in Chains, Casper McWade, Kyle Coroneos, The Ameripolitan Awards, Saving Country Music, commentors and readers of Saving Country Music, artists who’ve won Ameripolitan Awards, Dale Watson, fans of Ameripolitan Awards, Veterans, Bikers, military men and women. as well as fans of Alice in Chains, Cody Jinks, and Casper McWade. Congrats, that’s quite an accomplishment.
April 5, 2020 @ 10:32 am
Never liked aic but i liked this one, nice work, thanks trig.
April 5, 2020 @ 12:43 pm
Layne Staley is estimated to have died on this day in 2002. He didn’t have a big roll in this song – though he brings it home… He was on another level. This is one of the best campfire drinking songs there is.
April 5, 2020 @ 12:58 pm
Also, having just listened to the cover, it’s not better than the original like some are claiming. It’s fine. Glad to see AIC exposed to some who wouldn’t otherwise hear them – but certainly the original has more sorrow and authenticity than this version (which I like).
April 5, 2020 @ 3:49 pm
I didn’t know Alice and I didn’t know she was in chains – I think it’s cool of these two to donate to Vets- I like the song and Cody Jinks singing it makes it country. His sincerity make all his songs good. I also like Casper McWade’s voice, whom I’d never heard of til now, which sounded pretty sincere to my old ears,
April 5, 2020 @ 4:20 pm
Support the veterans. Look up flags of valor
April 6, 2020 @ 6:19 am
Me and my brothers in B.A.R.I. Are the motorcycle group in this video from Tulsa Oklahoma. I’m the guy with a beard on the black road glide with my wife at the beginning. Enjoy, we all loved this experience and this song and cause. Filmed this in the fall of 2019.
April 6, 2020 @ 8:05 am
I am a HUGE AIC fan, and this song was always my favorite of anything they have recorded. Jar Of Flies and Sap were both perfect I thought. I like this version a lot, but the original is much better in my opinion. Jerry Cantrell wrote it and is probably very happy that the proceeds are going to vets. He wrote the song Rooster about his dad who was a Vietnam War vet. He had his dad watch the video before they released it and he said his father was moved greatly by it. His dad never talked much about the war and it was a very moving tribute to him and his fellow vets. This song was too I thought. Well done gents.
April 6, 2020 @ 10:39 am
That was amazing. The only thing that would’ve made this better would be if Layne were still around to come in and sing that second half.
Nicely done!
April 7, 2020 @ 4:40 am
Agreed