Yoki News

If you’ve been to a Treaty Oak Revival show lately and thought, “Wait… who’s the new bass player?” that’s Dakota Hernandez.

And no, he didn’t just pop up out of nowhere.

Dakota is a Texas musician who’s been around the Red Dirt scene for years. Before joining Treaty Oak Revival in 2025, he played guitar in Aaron McBee’s band and spent a lot of time doing what most road guys do playing wherever he could, filling in, learning the ropes, and staying ready.

What makes his story cool is how he actually got into Treaty Oak.

He originally came on the road as a drum and guitar tech. Not a band member. Not in the spotlight. Just working. When Andrew Carey stepped away from the bass spot, Dakota was already there. Already trusted. Already part of the camp. They gave him a shot and he stepped into the role full-time.

His first show on bass was in June 2025 at The Salt Shed in Chicago. No slow introduction. Just straight into it.

Musically, he brings a little edge. He’s talked about loving that faster, run-heavy style of bass playing not just sticking to basic root notes. You can hear that mix of rock influence and Texas grit when he plays. At the same time, he’s shown respect to the bass parts that were already there, saying they’re fun and challenging to play.

Now, he’s holding down the low end during one of the biggest moments in Treaty Oak Revival’s rise.

So who is Dakota Hernandez?

He’s a road-built Texas musician who went from working behind the scenes to stepping onto some of the biggest stages of the band’s career and he looks pretty comfortable doing it.