“Here’s to life!” Fans around the world can be found singing the chorus of the Roger Clyne-penned fan favorite “Mekong” and toasting their glasses in unison to celebrate life through rock-n-roll. But the inspiration for the song dates back to the time Roger went to Taipei, Taiwan, as a college student to teach English during the day and busk with his guitar at night for money.

Today, as Clyne has just released his 11th studio album, he continues to transform his life experiences, inspirations, observations and his own muses into timeless music. And whether he’s wearing his Converse high tops, boots or sandals, Clyne’s blend of punk rock, americana, indie-pop and mariachi influences have made him, drummer PH Naffah, guitarist Jim Dalton and bassist Nick Scropos – collectively known as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers – one of America’s best live rock-n-roll bands.

Starting with the seminal Tempe quartet, The Refreshments, Clyne and Naffah put the fun in rock & roll during the 90s grunge era with a sense of humor. They also started what would become a trademark sound on all future albums by adding mariachi horns, something Clyne was influenced by while in college studying Cultural Anthropology with an ethnography study of mariachis during a three-month Spanish-immersion stay with a local family in Ensenada, Mexico.

The Refreshmens’ debut album, “Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy,” became a cult classic. It produced the alternative radio hits “Banditos” and “Down Together” which also had significant airplay on MTV and earned The Refreshments an appearance on The Conan O’Brien Show. Clyne then penned and performed the theme song for the Mike Judge animated TV series, King of Hill.

Changes within their record label and internal band issues resulted in Clyne and Naffah going on a vision quest of sorts in the Whetstone Mountains near the Clyne Ranch in Southeastern Arizona. It was there that Clyne found inspiration in the rolling hills and the jukeboxes of small-town taverns that still played Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash – music he had shed from his youth in favor of bands like Camper Van Beethoven & They Might Be Giants. But after reconnecting with those old country records, Clyne and Naffah wrote and recorded under a new moniker what would become Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers.

The album was the perfect combination of classic rock and twang, and fans immediately connected with it. Their independent release, “Honky Tonk Union,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Internet Album Sales chart in 1999 prompting a call from a Billboard exec to their manager demanding, “Who the hell is Roger Clyne and why is he #1 on my chart?!” beating out much better known artists that week like Santana, Creed, Nine Inch Nails, Melissa Ethridge and 311.

RCPM released eight more albums that landed in the top ten of Billboard’s Internet Album Sales chart, including a No.1 debut for their third album, “¡Americano!” – all without the backing of a major record label.

In 2019, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers were inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, joining the likes of fellow Arizona legends Linda Ronstadt, Alice Cooper, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Stevie Nicks, and Waylon Jennings.

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers have curated their own annual music festival for over two decades called, Circus Mexicus, in the sleepy beach town of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, which draws thousands of fans. The festival not only has a major impact on the local economy, but charity events hosted by the band and fans alike help raise money for a local orphanage, support local youth sports and help feed shelter animals. The festival is also an excellent way for RCPM to form kinships with fellow touring troubadours in addition to being out on the road with them. A few artists who have performed there over the years include Cross Canadian Ragweed, Todd Snider, Chuck Prophet, Cracker, Ike Reilly, Eddie Spaghetti, Reckless Kelly, Mickey & The Motorcars, Bri Bagwell, Jamie Lin Wilson, Shelby Stone, Andrew Hagar, Andrew Leahey, Dalton Domino, The Vandoliers, Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms and many more.

This new album, Hell to Breakfast, takes its title from a phrase Roger’s father, Doc Clyne, often used when things turned chaotic. The album includes two songs recorded at Yellow Dog Studios outside Austin, Texas, with Mike Harmeier of Silverada and engineer Adam Odor. Jamie Lin Wilson contributes backing vocals to “Sleepin’ With My Rifle,” while “Agua Caliente” features accordion by Sergio Mendoza of Orkesta Mendoza. “American Drugs,” the second track on the album, was co-written with singer-songwriter Miles Nielsen of The Rusted Hearts and The Nielsen Trust. “Getaway” is Clyne’s first foray into an official duet with up and coming Americana artist, Shelby Stone. Other songs on the record include the wistful “Sail into Silver” and the Bowie-leaning “Special Guest.” Eight of the final 10 songs were recorded and engineered by PH Naffah and Jeff Lusby- Breault in Tempe, AZ at Casona de Pappas studio.

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers have toured all over the US and achieved a faithful following through hard work and great music. They have done this all while being independent, without the safety net of a label support budget. Dubbed “The Springsteen of the Southwest,” by the Asbury Park Press, the band delivers exciting live performances that garner declarations like the one from emcee Jay Peterman of the Seinfeld TV show at Alice Cooper’s annual Christmas Pudding event, “Young man, you light that stage a-flame!”