A new gig
Former Junkies bassist Cody Tinnin talks life on the road, new album and old-time music

For this week’s “Between the Beats, I sat down with local legend-in-the-making Cody Tinnin. Cody has quickly become an indispensable part of the Durango music scene, having played with half a dozen bluegrass bands in town over the last eight years. Most recently, Cody brought the style and bass for Stillhouse Junkies, touring heavily with them for the past five years. The Junkies and Tinnin have parted ways, and Cody’s eyes are now on a new horizon as he begins work on his sophomore solo album and takes time to rest and regroup after living life on the roadthink in a tiny van. Enjoy a snippet of our conversation.

SS:  How many gigs do you you’ve played?

CT: Maybe 1,000? I don’t really know. Yeah, it’s hard to quantify exactly.

SS: What makes a great gig a great gig?

CT:  Just having fun. I would say having fun with your bandmates.

SS: Have you ever had a pinch-me moment on stage?

CT: Yeah, lots of them, honestly, but the first one that comes to mind is probably Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. You know, playing to just a whole lot of people very far away from Colorado, all the way out in New York State.

SS: A lot of people in Durango know you as the former bass player for the Stillhouse Junkies. What some might not know is that outside of playing bluegrass, you’re really passionate about old-time music. What is it about old-time music that you dig?

CT: I think in one word, maybe just rhythm. Everyone is usually playing more or less the same thing in an old-time session, and it’s like everyone is into that and making that really good. So, it’s just different. And it’s also an original American folk tradition, which despite America being kind of a trash fire, it’s still kind of cool to be into things that come from here. It’s our fiddle tradition.

SS: What’s your hope for the local Durango music scene in 2024 and moving forward?

CT:  I think the biggest issue that faces the scene is a feeder venue that touring bands can hit – for bands who maybe have never been here before and can’t sell the tickets to get into Animas City Theatre. There’s a lot of great venues in town that support the local scene, but I think a dedicated music club would really help. I would love to help someone do that.

SS: You’ve done some work as a producer, working on Nathan Schmidt’s album “Backstories.” Can you tell me what it is you enjoy when it comes to producing?

CT: I think at the baseline, it’s like helping someone make a record, make their record. With Nathan, it was super fun, because we got to kind of transform even the way he hears his songs into like a tangible thing. I love collaborating and making art with people. The goal is to help someone make the ultimate best thing that they can make.

SS: What are some of the challenges of being on the road and the toll that it can take?

CT: It just comes at you from every angle … it’s physical, it’s mental. You’re away from home, in uncomfortable situations, usually, at least once a day. But, ultimately it takes its biggest toll on your mental health and … it comes out in everything, in your music and your relationships. And when you’re on the road and touring, it’s just like everything is intensified by 10, and so it really makes it tough to keep a handle on. 

SS: What has been helpful for you as you’ve  been resetting and finding a new normal?

CT: Going to therapy, for sure, is the biggest thing, and then connecting with my friends here in town. I moved back to Durango in 2016, but the last four or five years have been really heavy touring, and I just haven’t been around as much. So getting to connect with the homies like you and other cats in town that I play music with has been really fun. And getting to meet the next generation of Durango musicians and artists who are coming up that I haven’t had a chance to really be around since I’ve been on the road. Focusing on my own music has been excellent, too.

SS: For the musicians out there, what do you think is one critical thing that everyone could do for their mental health when they’re out there on the road?

CT: Don’t ignore it, number one, which is really easy to do. You have to make time for some kind of mental health routine, whether it’s like therapy on the road or whatever it is you need. But there always has to be time built in to take care of yourself and for your bandmates to take care of themselves, too. 

SS: As you look to the future, is there anything on the horizon that is buoying you up right now?

CT: Yeah, I have a lot of exciting opportunities that I think are gonna pan out for next year … and I have a lot of different irons in the fire. I’m excited to hopefully be back on the road next year with some other artists, and we’ll see how that goes. I’m really stoked for that, but for now, I’m focused on this record, and I’m really excited to be in the groove of just writing something new.