Vandoliers was formed in 2015 by Jenni Rose, following the dissolution of her Fort Worth-based punk trio The Phuss, and an eye infection that left her nearly blind for eight weeks. During her recovery period, she discovered
The Marty Stuart Show and the similarities between punk and country, and wrote the material that would go on to become the Vandoliers' debut album,
Ameri-Kinda, during a fit of inspiration one weekend. With help from producer John Pedigo (The O's), Rose put together a DFW supergroup featuring members of well-known local folk and metal groups Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Vinyl, Revolution Nine and Armadillo Creek, and rounding out the pair's
Ameri-Kinda demos. The following year, the band signed to State Fair Records, and in October 2016, the label re-released the album. Its follow-up,
The Native, was recorded in the same studio where
Willie Nelson made
Red Headed Stranger, and released in May 2017. The album is noted for ushering in a
cowpunk resurgence, leading to shows and tours with the likes of
Reverend Horton Heat and
Old 97's among others. 2019 saw the band release its third album,
Forever, via Bloodshot Records, its first for the label. The album was supported by extensive touring, including co-headlining dates with
Cory Branan, and an opening slot with
Lucero. Following 2020's pandemic-slowed year—which saw the sale of Bloodshot Records, and the band's subsequent departure from the label—the band re-grouped to record its fourth LP,
The Vandoliers. It was self-released under the band's own newly-formed label Amerikinda Records. In the months leading up to its release, the band toured with
Flogging Molly, including its annual St. Patrick's Day celebration in Los Angeles. In 2023, the band garnered national attention by performing a show in Marryville, Tennessee in dresses to protest the state's newly passed anti-drag bill. The experience, Rose later said, was one of the first times she started to accept her life as a trans woman. In 2025, Rose came out publicly via an article in Rolling Stone, which coincided with the announcement of the band's fifth studio album. == Members ==