Ian Munsick Honors the West with ‘White Buffalo’

If you want to get to the heart of Ian Munsick’s new album, White Buffalo, just listen to the title track. 

As one of the last tracks written for the 2023 project, the lyrics of “White Buffalo” reference flying eagles, Devil’s Canyon in Utah and other symbols of Western culture that Munsick grew up on in Wyoming. “It transports you to the Rocky Mountains in the wild and free life,” Munsick describes of the album American Songwriter. “[I] really drew from all my experiences on the ranch and the stories that I had heard from the people that I grew up with, the cowboys and the Native Americans. I’ve always known that part of the country is very unique and untamed. It’s very protected by the people that live there.

“I’ve always known that’s what makes me special as an artist is that I have the ability to offer country music a unique geographical perspective,” he continues. “So that’s really what I wanted to deliver in this album is a microscope musically about where I’m from and the people, the culture of the West.”

Munsick accomplishes this mission across 18 tracks, blending personal stories with images of the grand landscapes he grew up on, such as “Field of Dreams” featuring Vince Gill which speaks to the alfalfa pasture his parents grew and raised Munsick and his brothers on.  

After finishing his debut album, Coyote Cry, in 2019, Munsick got married to his wife Caroline Munsick (who’s also his manager). They welcomed their first child, son Crawford, in February 2020 just as he was starting to work on White Buffalo, co-writing and co-producing the entire album.

“Those two huge monumental moments in my life really triggered a whole new creative chapter,” Munsick says. This created the “perfect storm” going into the album, Munsick’s fast-changing personal life marrying with the fact that country music is embracing more traditional artists and Western culture, thanks to shows like Yellowstone. One of Munsick’s fellow traditional-leaning artists is Cody Johnson, who Munsick opened for on tour in 2021 and 2022. 

After a show in Utah where Munsick’s Western-influenced music got a particularly warm reception from the crowd, Munsick’s wife passed Johnson in the hallway backstage. She asked if he would be willing to listen to a song Munsick had written called “Long Live Cowgirls,” that he wanted Johnson to be featured on. Not wasting any time, Johnson went onto his tour bus and listened to the track, coming out moments later confirming that he wanted to be a part of it.

“‘This is amazing, the world needs more music about the cowboys and cowgirls in it,’” Munsick recalls of Johnson’s reaction. “I think that it’s become an anthem for not only cowgirls but for everybody that’s living that Western way of life.” 

While the spirit of the West beats in each song, the one that Munsick describes as the most personal is the album closer “Indian Paintbrush.” Named after the state flower of Wyoming, “Indian Paintbrush” puts a somber voice to how parts of the West have been destroyed due to manmade development. The train tracks cut a trail of scars / They bring near what should stay far away / Yeah there somethings you and me weren’t made to touch, Munsick sings nostalgically. He truly captures the heart of the song in the defining lines in the chorus, It breaks my heart to think that my son might not ever get to see / The Indian Paintbrush come in bloom again. 

“Cowboys and ranchers and people that live rural lifestyles and respect the earth and the environment, I think people don’t usually classify those two groups of people as the same, but really they are,” Munsick explains, “because those are the people that live on the land and off of the land and have to respect the land.‘Indian Paintbrush’ really describes that lifestyle. There’s the ever-changing world that we live in and progress being made in the West and people ruining what we love about the West. So it’s pretty personal. I think that’s the one that I’ll listen to 50 years from now and still really have a heavy connection with.” 

Munsick hopes that the deep bond he feels with the West translates to those who listen to White Buffalo while uplifting the voices of the people back home who continue to inspire his artistry. “I honestly hope that the people that I’m trying to give a voice to through this album feel represented in country music because I know for me growing up, I never heard anything on the radio that I felt like I was personally being spoken about,” Munsick professes. “So I hope that those people hear that they have a voice in country music, and I hope that the rest of the world respects them even more through my album.” 

White Buffalo is available now. Munsick is set to embark on his headlining Long Live Cowgirls Tour on April 14 in Clive, Iowa. The trek wraps up on August 13 in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Photo Credit: Raul Esparza/Courtesy of Warner Music Nashville