|ROBERT HENRY|
My name is Robert Henry, and I front Robert Henry & the Repeaters. I grew up listening to country music with my parents but didn’t start writing and singing songs until I was about 17. After playing heavy metal in high school, my voice finally came into its own, and I realized my range was much better suited for country than rock and roll. Anyone who knows me will say I’m a history nerd, and I was drawn to country music as a genre because it is steeped in tradition—a uniquely American music style that blends the raw emotion of African American blues with the folk storytelling tradition of the English & Scots-Irish. Combined with the brutal honesty and emotion in the lyrics, this had me hooked once I really sank my teeth in.
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My influences as an artist cover a broad range of genres, but as a country singer, few things sound better to me than Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Johnny Paycheck. Listen to the new album and I think you'll hear those voices in mine.
The group started with Jake, our drummer, and me back in 2018. We’d already played together in our high school metal band, "Bigger Trigger," so we knew each other musically and have always clicked when it comes to speaking each other’s musical language. We brought in Bob Littleton on pedal steel, and after trying out a few bassists and guitarists, we landed with Justyn on guitar and Matt on bass. That lineup held together for a couple of years, and we eventually named the backing band “the Repeaters”—a play on my name that nods to the Henry repeating rifle that helped win the West. We’ve built our own sound, and it’s been a joy to shape it through all the gigs we’ve played together.
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Portland’s country scene has truly taken off since COVID ended, and it’s been great to watch a community grow around the music we love. The support network here is incredible. Come see the band at the Landmark Saloon on a Wednesday and you’ll find that 90% of the crowd are artists or musicians of some kind. My favorite example was our single release show last winter at Mississippi Studios—it felt like the whole scene turned out for us, and we were just a handful of tickets shy of selling out. That was a deeply validating night for all of us.
What’s beautiful about country music is the comfort of knowing that whatever you’re going through, someone else has been there too—and there’s surely a song that makes you feel the writer read your mind. I’m no genius songwriter, but if one of my songs gives a single person a safe place to hide, I’ve done my job. That’s what I seek out as a fan, so it’s what I aim for as an artist. My favorite track to record on this album was “Demons & Dreams.” It sits right in my vocal wheelhouse and comes from a genuinely raw place. I do my best work when I’m discontented, and it almost works as a sequel to my first single, “Storm the Gate”—I’m sure listeners will pick up on the thematic echoes.
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Our new album arrives December 2nd—stream it on whichever platform you use, and follow @roberthenrymusic on Instagram and Robert Henry & the Repeaters on Facebook to keep up with tour dates and any new music we release down the line.
See you out on the road.
Robert Henry & the Repeaters bring together classic country tradition and a modern edge, with a lineup built on years of playing together. From pedal steel to guitar and bass, the band’s shared musical history shapes the sound they’ve cultivated on stages across the region. Whether you catch them at a Portland honky-tonk or a larger headlining event, the goal stays the same: honest songs that give listeners a place to feel at home.