Who we are

At a very early age Todd Mankin could be found belting out his parents favorites like Waylon Jennings, Alabama, The Oak Ridge Boys, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, and Anne Murray. Todd understood the power of music at an early age. Many categorize Mankin as one of those artists that are simply natural born performers, but it is not wise to limit him by category. 

Todd Mankin was born in Lubbock, Texas and always had a love and deep passion for music, but never really saw himself writing, playing an instrument, or performing live in front of an audience. After high school he began listening to some of the Texas Music greats like Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, and Jack Ingram. In 2000, Todd moved to the Fort Worth area where he befriended a small running crowd of rabid "Texas Music" fans. After spending a year in the Fort Worth area Todd transferred to Houston, TX with the job that he was working at the time. It seemed though that anywhere he went that this "Texas Music" thing had really caught on and people everywhere were talking about it. One day in late 2001, Mankin decided to pull out that old guitar that he had traded for and learned a few chords from a Mel Bay book that a friend had loaned him. He picked up guitar fairly quickly and within about three months was playing at local open mic jams. After spending a little over a year in Houston, he packed up and headed back to Fort Worth, where he was a regular at all of the live Texas Music venues. Mankin befriended the Mike Mancy Band and before he knew it was on the road acting as a road manager and selling merchandise. This gave Mankin the opportunity to be in front of the "who's who" in the Texas/Red Dirt scene and he found himself lost in the music, the life, and the ways of the road. His abilities earned the immediate respect of then "up and coming" peers and other cohorts of the revitalizing Texas and Red Dirt circuits.  

In 2009, both fans and industry took good notice of the Todd Mankin Band after they completed the debut album "June Time," produced by the TMB. This was just the beginning, as the debut cement's Mankin's following with the single "The Sail".  February 29, 2009 The Todd Mankin band released their freshman effort, debut CD titled "June Time", which included major artists like Maren Morris (backing vocals), & Milo Deering (mandolin, dobro, fiddle, pedal steel).  "The Sail" spun to a high of the number 11 spot on Texas/Red Dirt Radio charts. 


You can't help but be moved by the lyrics and melodic riffs. Mankin's soulful vocals can draw a crowd to an open mouth level of memorization and have them hanging on the edge wondering what's next. Todd Mankin Band has performed at top festivals and venues across Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma sharing bills with renowned acts like Bruce Robison, Charlie Robison, Cooder Graw, Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, Tommy Alverson, The Bellamy Brothers, Reckless Kelly, Cory Morrow and others. Mankin and crew are poised for what is on the horizon to come. The music is undeniably inside of Todd Mankin, but he's the type of artist that doesn't have to point it out to you, his belief in the music is strong enough that it just powers through transparently and his passion, burning sincerity, and love of the music is evident when it overtakes you as a listener. Stay tuned as the Todd Mankin Band journeys on sharing their "Music from Texas"  

Radio Single: In 2009 "The Sail" spun into the #11 spot on the Texas / Red Dirt Music Radio charts.  

The band has also been featured on 95.9 The Ranch in Fort Worth, TX, where they appeared on two of the station's artist spotlight shows and Chuck Taylor's Ranch Roadhouse live show from Billy Bob's TX, & was spotlighted on the TMTR Internet radio stations Texas Music Show, which is syndicated on AM/FM stations across the United States.