Pistol Whip The Devil Captures Small-Town Nostalgia in New Single “City With One Red Light”
With their signature blend of outlaw country, rock, and grunge, Pistol Whip The Devil delivers a heartfelt tribute to small-town roots with their latest single, “City With One Red Light.” Built on sweeping guitars, anthemic drums, and raw, evocative vocals, the song captures the bittersweet feeling of returning home, where memories linger in the air like smoke from a fire that never quite burns out.
“City With One Red Light” was written about the nostalgic feeling you get when you go back and visit friends and family—it’s like stepping into a time machine,” the band shares. “The Okanagan lakes are as familiar as family and old friends. You wander the shores, remembering childhood days spent casting lines, skipping stones, bush parties, cliff jumping, mountain climbing, racing cars, and playing guitars.”
The track unfolds like a hazy recollection of youthful nights and first experiences. Shane’s lyrics paint vivid pictures of home, where “days by the lake and nights by the fire” define a place that never truly changes. The chorus swells with a mix of longing and pride:
“As I’m walking by / This city with one red light
I think about the times / The good, the bad, the wrong, the right.”
Pistol Whip The Devil’s edgy country-rock sound sits comfortably alongside Dallas Smith, The Sheepdogs, and Tyler Joe Miller, blending gritty storytelling with soaring melodies. Their ability to balance introspective nostalgia with high-energy instrumentation makes them one of the most exciting emerging acts in the Canadian music scene.
That potential has already been recognized—Pistol Whip The Devil was named a 2024 Emerging Artist Creative BC Grant Recipient, further cementing their place in the next wave of breakout country-rock acts.
Formed when longtime friends and musicians found themselves with unexpected time to create during the pandemic, Pistol Whip The Devil is made up of Shane Jolie (vocals, guitars), Geoff Way (guitars, songwriting), Ryan Trimble (bass), and Dan Wood (drums). Their music reflects their own upbringing—Northern Ontario, the Okanagan, and Vancouver—blending the untamed beauty of their surroundings into a sound that’s both familiar and electrifying.
“The fire pits out in the bush are in the exact same spots they were long before,” the band shares. “You can almost hear the crackle of logs and the stories that once filled the summer nights. All the old sights and sounds envelop you, and for a moment, you’re fifteen years younger, living those simple, precious days once more.”
Following “City With One Red Light,” Pistol Whip The Devil is gearing up for more releases, live performances, and a continued push to bring their roots-driven, hard-hitting sound to wider audiences. Fans can expect music that celebrates the highs and lows of small-town life, the resilience of friendships, and the stories that never fade.
With anthemic energy, a rugged authenticity, and a sound that bridges country, rock, and grunge, Pistol Whip The Devil is proving that sometimes, the places we come from are the ones that shape us the most.
Hi Pistols! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers?
We are Pistol Whip the Devil, a new Redneck Rock band out of Vancouver BC
We blend country music with Classic Rock, Grunge, Funk – generally whatever we feel like adding to a song. We want to be bring the energy of multiple genres to a country setting, and we got all the giddy-up to keep you dancing all night long. Ayeeeeeheeeeeee 
“City With One Red Light” vividly captures small-town nostalgia. Can you share the moment or memory that initially sparked the idea for this song?
Every time I hit the highway from the Coast and head into the Okanagan mountains, once I get past being reminded of how beautiful BC is I get flooded with memories of the past.
Leaving home to pursue a dream is never easy, and in fact was the one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But it’s helped knowing the support is always there. And I wanted to put those feelings into a song that people could share that moment, and being able to write it about my hometown meant the world to me.
Your music blends outlaw country, rock, and grunge—how did these diverse influences come together to form your signature sound?
Our members come from very diverse musical backgrounds, from punk and R&B to metal and country. We all grew up as fans of music, and when you love music for all of its creative freedoms you hold an appreciation for all types of genre and expression. We wanted to take our inspirations from before we met each other and find a way to create a style that encapsulates who we are, where we’re from, the people who helped make us who we are both on and off the stage and the music that’s pushed us to create.
Your music captures small-town life vividly. How have places like the Okanagan specifically shaped your musical identity?
The Okanagan is vibe, we all know island time and the Okanagan is no different. We summed it up as “Days by the Lake and Nights by the Fire” and that’s what I always loved about growing up in that community. We were taught to understand the true value of a hard day’s work, to be a good person, treat people with respect, andto put your family above anything else. Money and Fame is temporary, being someone of substance lasts forever.
Sometimes in the city, it feels like you can lose a bit of that part of yourself. And it’s always been important to me and the others to make time for your family and remember where you came from, whether it’s Lumby, Sarnia, Mission, most of the small towns in this great country of ours have a similar essence.
We want to make sure our songs and style carries that message through our expression and our version of Country Rock and hope the rest of you enjoy it with us.
What was your reaction to being named a 2024 Emerging Artist Creative BC Grant recipient, and how has it influenced your plans moving forward?
We will be forever grateful to everyone at Creative BC, with a special shout out to Lu Slone and Joseph Bardsley who are helping us navigate this grant. And we thank Canada and BC for having these types of grants and arts programs available for people to continue to support their musical journey.
We immediately set up a recording package, marketing package, and tour support. We built a team around us for success and we’re looking to have an amazing year. We’ll be releasing a few more singles, the first is called “Devil In Me” in April 2025 and we’ll be gearing up for festival season!
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