Victoria’s JR and the Bad Ox Band Cruise Into “Highway Life” with All-Star Nashville Team
JR and the Bad OX Band, the heartfelt country project of Canadian singer-songwriter John Rewers, today releases “Highway Life,” a sun-drenched, rolling ode to the open road and the love that pulls a man home. Available now on all major streaming platforms, the track is the second single from Rewers’ “Nashville Sessions” — a suite of recordings made at the legendary Hen House Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by JUNO Award-winning artist and producer Steve Dawson.
“Highway Life” arrives with the easy, sun-warm confidence of a country song that has been lived rather than written. Built on the playful push-pull of the road and home, the track crackles with warmth from the opening bars. Rewers’ acoustic rhythm anchors a band firing on all cylinders: Steve Dawson weaves steel and electric guitar into the groove while bassist David Jacques, keyboardist Jen Gunderman, and drummer Justin Amaral lock into a pocket that feels both classic and alive. The production honours the golden lineage of traditional country while leaving plenty of open sky for Rewers’ voice to breathe.
The song’s central tension is irresistible: a trucker in love with every mile of asphalt beneath him, equally in love with the woman waiting at the end of the drive. “Driving down the highway, rollin’ down the byway / Gonna see my baby tonite,” Rewers sings, his voice carrying the kind of easy certainty that only real feeling can produce. The hook circles back with jubilant momentum — “Cause the highway life is the only life for me / But at home is the place I should be” — landing the song’s emotional core with a smile rather than a sigh. It is the sort of lyric that sticks immediately, the kind country radio was built to carry.
The Nashville Sessions represent a milestone that Rewers has been building toward for decades. A lifelong lover of classic country and traditional songwriting, he made his way to Tennessee with a collection of songs drawn from real moments, close observations, and a philosophy that every well-lived life deserves its own soundtrack. Working at Hen House Studios with Steve Dawson — celebrated for his acclaimed productions with Jim Byrnes, Kelly Joe Phelps, Old Man Luedecke, The Sojourners, and The Deep Dark Woods — Rewers found a creative collaborator who understood exactly how to frame those stories. The result is a body of work that sounds rooted, warm, and entirely itself.
Raised in Kitimat, BC and now based in Victoria, Rewers spent his professional life as a public accountant before allowing himself to fully embrace the calling that had been with him since his teenage years. “Music is a source of wellness, beauty and life,” he says. “Once I picked up my guitar and started on this journey, I found the music to be full of positive energy that filled up my cup of life. Why would I not want this?” That philosophy infuses every note of “Highway Life” — a song that carries the joy of a man doing exactly what he was meant to do. His first single, “My Love,” released in February 2025, introduced the Bad OX Band to audiences hungry for country music rooted in sincerity and craft, and the response has been warmly enthusiastic.
The momentum behind JR and the Bad OX Band continues to build. Rewers has earned a nomination for the prestigious Gaylord Wood Traditional Country Artist Award, recognition from the country music community that underscores the authenticity at the heart of his songwriting. “Dreams are never too old to be achieved,” says Rewers, who is three-quarters of a century old and adding to his bucket list at a steady pace. His sights are set on the Grand Ole Opry stage — and with records like “Highway Life” in his catalogue, the journey there is compelling listening.
The full “Nashville Sessions” album, “Changing Lanes,” is forthcoming. JR and the Bad OX Band continue to write, record, and perform — proof that the most resonant music is often the kind that has had a lifetime to find its voice.
Hi, JR! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Howdy. I am John Rewers. I am an accountant, a coach, a husband, a father and a friend to name a few. I believe I am OK with saying that I am a decent man (mom would be proud).
I grew up in Northern BC during the 50’s and 60’s listening to the country tunes of the era and then morphing into 60’s – 70’s rock and roll. Beatles, Stones, and the like. Then, in the 1990’s, a fellow named Dwight Yoakam came along and brought me back to country music. Little did I realize that a foundation of traditional country had settled in my soul back in the day.
I love traditional country music. Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Willie and Waylon, Ernie Tubbs, Sons of the Pioneers. Songs that have stories. Stories of real-life pain, joy, warmth, despair. All these songs tell stories, and I like to write in that same fashion. Songs that evoke emotions, that touch listeners’ life stories and maybe a tear or two. I have written a couple of songs that I have difficulty getting through, as they bring up so much emotion in me. My friend and accompanist, Al Ogilvy, says that I write songs in the 50’s and 60’s style.
Now, not all my songs are written in the “traditional country” style. I have composed blues, folk, and 1960’s “Doors” style songs. So anything is fair game.
I am SO grateful for having found my new journey in life. Music. And to all the folks who have helped along my path, no matter how big or small the contribution. I am blessed to have this talent of songwriting in my life. Who knew?
I started this musical journey in my 60’s and have been on this epic ride for fifteen years now. Just know that you are never too old to start something and follow your dreams. Don’t believe them when they say, “you’re too old” to do that whatever that is. Follow your heart. Find your joy. It’s never too late!
Footnote. I wrote a song while in Mexico a couple of months ago. Two of the lines are “we all have our pathways; there’s a special one for you.”
So, I encourage you to find your pathway.
And as my good friend Pilot John says, “Pick a trail and go with one of the four winds.”
“Highway Life” pulls between freedom and home – which side wins for you personally?
Highway life push and pull…
The intention in my song “Highway Life” is to explore the angst one goes through when you have two great passions in your life. That energy. In this case, it is the pull of the open road versus the pull of wanting to be at home.
I don’t believe that one passion should win over the other. If one passion wins then the other passion gets diminished and loses. This loss will cause a blemish on the win of the first passion.
This will end up an overall loss. The gist to this situation is to understand the push and pull, understand the angst and just be in it. To be comfortable in the tug of war. There should be no winner, no loser. It is all about being in balance with the circumstances. And as I am an accountant, I know a bit about balance. Or balancing. LOL.
I can relate to this situation with my new music career. I can be out every night at some music event or another, but I do have a wife at home, and I do need to spend time with her. So, I balance it out as best I can. To let one side win would be at a great cost to the other. So balance, balance, balance.
You recorded in Nashville – what did that environment unlock creatively?
Our visit to Nashville was like a surgical strike. Fly in, record, Fly out. Luckily, we did have a day to do the tourist thing. As we were Uber’ing from the airport to our hotel, I could see the city skyline ahead of us and I thought, “just another big city”. But, boy, was I wrong.
As we toured around on the day before our recording sessions, I could sense the underlying “Nashville” energy that sets this city apart from all others. It is not overwhelming. But it is not quiet. It is just there. The Nashville “vibe”.
In feeling that energy, in doing my recordings, and in meeting the incredible musicians who recorded with me, I found more confidence in myself and the musical journey I am on. To play more. To write more. To be more. To follow my dreams.
How did working with Steve Dawson shape the sound of this track?
Working with Steve Dawson…
When I write my songs, I have certain intentions that are woven into the fabric of each tune. I have been recording my songs for only a short while now, but many times, my intentions get forgotten. Now that I have had more experience with recording sessions and the chance to work with Steve Dawson, I can recognize when the intention I put into a song is being overwhelmed by instrumentation or additional notes that puts everything offside.
Steve Dawson took the time and was open to understanding my songs, the intentions within my songs and to honor my songs. He helped bring my intentions to life. He brought such incredibly talented musicians to the table enabling my song to reach its full potential. That honky-tonk, rock-a-billy sound I was going for.
Frankly, I was quite intimidated recording with these top-level musicians. I AM NOT WORTHY!! But they took me in as one of their own and engaged with me like we were all on the same level. No egos. I am and forever will be grateful to everyone involved in this recording for making me feel at home.
What does the “highway life” mean beyond the literal road for you?
Beyond Highway Life
Highway Life gives a small glimpse into the circumstances we encounter along life’s highway. We are all travelling down our individual highways taking on whatever life brings our way. Some good times, some bad times, some stressful times and some times of indecision.
Highway Life is a song about times of indecision. Sometimes there is only indecision and here we are in this circumstance. There is no right, there is no wrong. There is only this circumstance. There is no choice to be made. It is what it is, and we have to be comfortable with “no choice”. Just be and find a way to appreciate both sides. The third choice.
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