Erik Vincent Huey

Erik Vincent Huey is the frontman and co-founder of the cowpunk band Surreal McCoys (under the alias Cletus McCoy), formed during his college days at Notre Dame, blending fiery influences like Jason & the Scorchers and The Del-Lords into bar-ready rock with humor and twang. Growing up along the Monongahela River in Uniontown, PA, and Morgantown, WV—the son (and grandson) of coal miners from four generations deep—he channels those rugged Appalachian roots into his solo work, tackling coal country struggles, family tensions, opioids, and exile with raw honesty.

His 2023 debut solo album *Appalachian Gothic*, produced by roots rock legend Eric “Roscoe” Ambel at Cowboy Technical Services in Brooklyn, dives into haunting folk ballads, punky rockers, and pro-union anthems like “Winona,” “Yours in the Struggle,” and “The Devil’s Here in These Hills”—a love letter to the hills that still call him home despite leaving to “get out to get ahead.” Follow-up *Fort Defiance* (2026) keeps the momentum with eclectic outlaw country, roots rock, and guests like Tommy Stinson, exploring escape and heartbreak sans a single narrative thread, all while Huey balances music with his day job as a DC-based government affairs pro.