People bombarded with images of what their lives can be can’t fully grasp the importance of representation in pop culture. When you don’t see people like you who are ahead of you in life’s journey, it can be difficult to conjure an image of the future. It was for Tiff Hannay, lead singer for Rodeo Boys. Hannay grew up outside of Lansing, Michigan, and while Michigan State University is nearby, it is a largely rural area without much diversity or representation. However, non-binary and queer people in the heartland need their stories told, too.
“When I was younger, I never thought I’d get past a certain age. I didn’t see queer and trans people where I grew up. You can be openly queer in a big city, but there’s a challenge in rural areas,” they explain.
The press release for Junior, the band’s latest release, describes the collection as “the quiet rebellion of a queer, blue-collar heart”, and that description is apt. The songs that comprise Junior are a mix of revenge anthems and tales of gay love and queer identity. Fans of bands like Mannequin Pussy, Destroy Boys, and the Breeders will find a lot to love in their jagged punk anthems.
Hannay’s love for country themes inspired the group’s name. “I like rodeos. I dig that culture,” they share. “Country and western culture has always had queerness, but it hasn’t always been safe for queer people.” The band name is also a stealth way to reach unsuspecting ears. “Sometimes people come to see us play and expect to see a country band. A bunch of cowboys getting roped into seeing a bunch of queer people playing punk rock is a fun type of catfish,” they laugh.
Rodeo Boys worked with the Menzingers‘ Tom May on Junior, and he has become a mentor. Having a trusted advisor who has been where Rodeo Boys are right now has been a gift. “We are friends with the Menzingers’ tour manager, who was helping us out, too. We got to play a [NOFX] Punk in Drublic show in Detroit, and that’s where we met Tom and the rest of the band. They had a few COVID-19 makeup shows, and we were invited to open. Then, we went on a full tour together in 2023. Soon after, Tom told us he wanted to produce our record. He was incredible to work with,” Hannay shares. Having an experienced connection is necessary at this point. You have to have more than good songs. You get opportunities when other people vouch for you.”
Of course, being a non-binary person in a touring band presents challenges in certain regions. “When I have a more feminine hairstyle, it’s easy to blend. But with a shaved head, I get more attention. When we have toured Texas, bathroom use is an issue. I went to use the restroom in a Walmart in Texas, and an employee said to me, ‘Are you a boy or a girl?’ It really put things into perspective for one of my band members, who’d never seen that type of discrimination up close,” they recall.
“Who wants to be in a public restroom any longer than they need to? Restrooms are gross,” they laugh. “It is the way it goes. The thing I try to do is give people grace. If they want to understand, I am open. But if people are being shitty to me, I don’t have tolerance for that.”
Several of the songs on Junior are inspired by the toxic relationships Hannay has witnessed or been part of. The record’s title is from a line in the song “Let Down”. Hannay explains, “I was thinking of the phrase, ‘Sit down, junior, the adults are talking’ in relation to a toxic friendship I had. His dad was shitty to him, and he was shitty to me, so he was being junior.”
While friendship breakups kept coming up in Junior‘s writing process, Hannay is comfortable just following their muse during the lyric writing process. “I have a hard time directing what I’m writing. Tom would look at the lyrics and ask questions about how the concepts related. I get scatterbrained when I write. [Guitarist] Caleb Shook decides what he’s going to write about, and he just does it. That is so hard for me to even fathom.”
However, occasionally, it all comes into focus. “For ‘Sam’s Song’, a friend showed me journals from a time when she was in an abusive relationship. I wanted to write the song for her and about this situation,” they explained.
“All American Man” is the lead single from Junior and a clear highlight. It was partly inspired by Laura Gilpin’s poem “Two-Headed Calf”. “One of my trans friends shared it, and I cried the first time I read it. That happened every time I shared it with someone. Trans and non-binary people are considered freaks of nature by some people. It’s beautiful to be in my 30s and to have a partner who loves me unconditionally. The unconditional love you get from someone when you’re undesirable or a freak is so beautiful. Being in rural Michigan, I feel like an alien there,” they shared.
However, the song almost didn’t make the cut. “We almost didn’t finish ‘All American Man’. We did pre-production with Tom, and we had several songs that we were sure of, but also had some free time that was still being worked on. He and I worked on it in his living room. I haven’t written a ballad before. It’s very vulnerable, but Tom insisted that I do it, and it is being so well-received on tour. We are closing with it and people are really responding to it,” they explained.
Another highlight of the record is a tribute to Pamela Anderson. “‘Cowgirl in the Dark’ is my favorite song to play. It just came spilling out of me. I have always had a crush on her. I’m fascinated by her story. When I found out that she wasn’t involved in making the Pam and Tommy Hulu series, it made me so angry that they were taking advantage of her, even now,” they explained.
“The book she wrote also really moved me. Learning about her experiences as a bright-eyed newbie and having all that potential ripped away from her was heartbreaking. And then there were the abusive situations she found herself in, when all she was trying to do was find love. It is so sad that she was stepped on by the industry and her light was dimmed. I want to be more of a tribute to her, not a sexualization of her. There’s already been too much of that.”
Rodeo Boys are out on the road promoting Junior, first with Tigers Jaw and then with Laura Jane Grace. Hannay is focused on enjoying what is happening right now and trying not to get hung up on the ups and downs of being in a buzzy band. “We released our first record in 2023 and had big hopes. We went on a big tour with a big band. We thought we’d be on the rise, but growth is not linear. It comes in fits and starts,” they explain. “Reminding myself of that has helped me think about what I want to happen with this record. These songs are so dear to me. I believe in these songs. We worked so hard on them. I just want people to hear them and to get to a place where it is self-sustaining.”