A COUNTRY WESTERN

Born out of reverence for their favorite bands and the need for an outlet to express personal influence, Philadelphia’s A Country Western finds themselves in the knotty crossroads of modern alternative subgenres.

Multi-instrumentalists Derek Hengemihle and Garrett Miades began making songs together in middle school, playing in other bands together until forming A Country Western in 2017. During the summer of 2021, hometown friend Erik Hilbert (Piper’s Bellflower) and Paris Parker (Solvent OS) joined for live performances, who soon became involved in writing and recording.

A Country Western’s latest record, Life on the Lawn, showcases their evolution with a blend of louder guitars, playful feedback, and centered vocals, interwoven with sparser moments that have long captivated their audience. Their thematic exploration delves into pressing issues like environmental destruction, capitalism, navigating a hyper-digital society, self-realization, loss, and even the enigmatic world of birds.

The band stands tall on lead single “The Dreamer.” In a somewhat surprising move, A Country Western hits hard and fast with straightforward indie rock anthem. Hearty riffs and electronic accents set the song up for a masterful chorus that is hard to not rock your head to: “I was always a dreamer… But you, you called me a loser.” Meanwhile, second single “Ridgeline” starts off as a tender guitar track, that builds into a climax of realization… particularly around “the end of the world and existing in a wasteland of rot and pollution.” That feeling was visualized in a video written, shot, and edited by Tyler Kimble and Andrew Caplan. Tyler Kimble and Andrew Caplan.

Other goodies on the record include a guest vocal performance from Samira Winter (of Winter) on “How Far,” a new wave of noise on “Great is the Grip of the Hawk,” and a droning rock classic “Wasting the Weekends.” Clocking in at 30ish minutes, Life on the Lawn is just what you need to dip into Spring early..