The open spaces of Arizona’s Sonora Desert are Roger Clyne’s

sanctuary. That’s where Clyne’s family’s cattle ranch is located.

That’s where Clyne – armed with a backpack, a guitar and a tape

recorder – finds the inspiration for Roger Clyne & The

Peacemakers’ music.

“I start going crazy if I can’t get out there and push the reset button,”

says Clyne, lead singer of The Peacemakers. “That’s when I can

start to really find myself and hear the music.”

The Peacemakers’ music is as untamed as the desert. It’s a

mixture of pop rock guitar riffs, country twang and Clyne’s melodic

vocals. It speaks of life in the Southwestern United States similar

to how Bruce Springsteen’s music speaks of New Jersey or John

Mellencamp’s speaks of Indiana. Each song is a visual story

woven with characters that listeners can’t help but empathize

with.

“I like to bring out what comes honestly to me,” Clyne says, “and

I’ve got a lethal rock `n` roll band to back me up.”

Their honest, alt-country will rattle the Maintenance Shop’s walls at

8 tonight with opener Stephen Ashbrook and Ol’ Yeller.

Tonight also is the beginning of The Peacemakers’ Midwestern

tour in preparation for the release of “Sonoran Hope and

Madness,” the follow-up to its debut album “Honky Tonk

Union.”

“It’s just a way to keep our edge sharp, to get out of town and play

in front of some less familiar faces,” Clyne says, “and it’s also a lot

of fun to get out on the road.”

The Peacemakers’ lineup reads like an Arizona dream

collaboration. Clyne and drummer P.H. Naffah rose from The

Refreshments’ remains. They are joined by ex-Gin Blossoms

guitarist Scott Johnson, ex-Dead Hot Workshop guitarist Steve

Larson and bass player Danny White.

It was The Refreshments’ demise and a journey into the desert

that led to The Peacemakers’ rise. A solo 40-day soul-searching

expedition was Clyne’s plan, but Naffah unexpectedly showed up

at the Clyne family’s cattle ranch.

“He threw his backpack down on the porch and said, `I’m going

with you,'” Clyne says. “He meant literally and figuratively that he

was going to stick with the music, stick with the commitment

through the poverty and the frustration and the anonymity that is

being an independent artist.”

The duo lasted 17 days before submitting to the elements. Clyne’s

father, “Doc,” picked the pair up in Benson, Ariz., in exchange for

$15 and a bottle of tequila. A week later the two set out again, but

this time with lighter packs, guitars and a battery-operated tape

recorder. They returned with the basis for “Honky Tonk Union.”

“Many miles and many days later, here we are I guess,” Clyne

says.

Now, The Peacemakers are working on their sophomore album

due out later this year or early next. The aptly titled “Sonoran Hope

and Madness” was inspired by the desert in which it was penned.

Clyne is quick to point out that the songs are laced with more overt,

conscience-laden messages.

“We need to slow down, open our eyes, listen to our hearts and

figure out where we’re going again or else we’ll drive ourselves off

a cliff,” he says. “I hope I did it without losing tongue and

cheekness, without losing fun and without abandoning rock `n` roll.

It’s not a total departure from what I’ve done.”

It was The Refreshments’ 1998 departure from Mercury Records

and subsequent demise that gave Clyne a chance to reassess his

career. No longer an employee for a major label, he was left to

succeed on his own.

“I don’t think I ever envisioned being independent again, but I’m

sure glad I am,” Clyne says. “I regained my focus, I regained

clarity, I regained my venom and my sense of purpose and

redefined my music as important to me regardless of its financial

gain or loss.”

Clyne’s stint on Mercury wasn’t unpleasant, but there was a

moment when he realized he wasn’t answering to his audience

anymore. Rather, he was answering to the company’s money

base.

“I wanted my art and my music to have meaning,” he says. “I got

lucky. I got dropped by the major label and I didn’t have to answer

to stockholders anymore. I found that I got to answer to myself and

my audience and that’s what I wanted.”

This grassroots approach of bringing the music to the people has

proven difficult, but rewarding for Clyne & The Peacemakers.

“If you’re going to establish a long-term relationship with an

audience, it’s proven – for me – the best way to go. It’s a very

close quarters existence with the audience and I like it that way. I

think art stays sharp and honest because of that.”