Alternative country, much like indie rock, typically features more reserved artists who combine folk’s ability to tell compelling tales with country music’s structural simplicity and blues’ resilience in meeting difficulties head on.
Chicago’s Bloodshot Records helped to pioneer this genre with acts like Old 97’s, Freakwater and Robbie Fulks. Rhett Miller continues to create songs with fresh appeal through writing lyrically captivating tunes that resonate with listeners.
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies pioneered an alternative country sound in the 1980s and ’90s. Their 1988 breakthrough album, The Trinity Sessions, featured a haunting cover of Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane.” Its quiet intensity was underscored by lead singer Margo Timmins’ subdued vocal dynamics which set their unique sound apart from competitors. Since then, they have garnered critical acclaim and two platinum records with recordings featuring folk, country, blues melodies with minimal instrumentation.
The Cowboy Junkies were formed in 1985 by Michael Timmins (songwriter/guitarist), his brother Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins, with bassist Alan Anton joining shortly before their initial studio albums were recorded – remaining part of the group to this day.
Cowboy Junkies debuted with Black Eyed Man in 1993, exploring rootsy Americana. 2020’s Ghosts took a darker path with songs of death and loss before Pale Sun Crescent Moon (1993) and Lay It Down (1996) took them in various new directions.
Trinity Revisited (2002) marked a departure from previous recordings’ uplifting, energetic approach, featuring cover art that showcased their newly found spirituality as well as “A Common Disaster”, inspired by a true-life tragedy involving an Alzheimer’s patient and her Korean War veteran husband.
Even as they became increasingly popular, the group have remained independent of major record labels and remain self-released albums; their catalog being supplemented by compilation albums Open Road (2000) and Radio One Sessions (2002) as well as their live album In the Time Before Llamas (2004). Their latest album, Such Ferocious Beauty (2014), boasts an energetic sound with guest artists Natalie Merchant and Vic Chesnutt. To promote it further, an East Coast tour beginning April 29 in Tarrytown, N.Y. will run through May 9 in Marshall Township, Pa. The band has also released two DVDs: Open (2001) and One Soul Now (2004), each packaged with a booklet detailing each song’s writing, recording and production processes. Furthermore, Anatomy of an Album (2004) details how One Soul Now was put together.
Lyle Lovett
Texas legend Lyle Lovett has long pushed the limits of country music with 14 albums that span his career. His sound blends elements of country, jazz, blues and folk into an eclectic whole that respects tradition yet remains contemporary in terms of sound. He is widely revered for his wry humor and captivating story-telling ability as one of country music’s premier performers; not to mention an acute perspective he brings into every show he performs.
Lovett has played many prominent film roles and written both a play and book. Additionally, he is a political activist with songs that address capital punishment; performing alongside Gram Parsons, Steve Earle and Jerry Jeff Walker as well as multi-instrumentalists including guitar, mandolin banjo keyboards and drums.
Indie artists have taken to embracing country music with great gusto, offering fresh perspectives to old themes. Be it at a rock club in a major city or a honky tonk in a smaller town, new approaches are being explored through country music.
Alternative country-rock is a subgenre of country music characterized by elements from both genres; hence its name. An offshoot of alt-country movement that pushes country music further outward.
Riddy Arman and Old 97’s are two excellent examples of singer-songwriters in this genre. Arman’s 2021 self-titled album showcases traditional country themes like small town pride and finding meaning amid worldly troubles; her lyrics feature turns of phrase that avoid becoming cliched while her voice can be both soulful and traditional. Rhett Miller of Old 97’s also excels in this area – his song “Barrier Reef” offers a biting takedown on Nashville.
Other examples of this subgenre include Americana singer-songwriter Maren Morris’ collaboration with the Highwomen, an ensemble composed of female vocalists from different genres; and Yola, an English singer-songwriter whose sound blends soul, Americana and country. These new voices are making waves on the music scene and will help shape country music in years to come.
Amythyst Kiah
Amythyst Kiah brings powerful presence to our intimate Downstage @ the Mann series with an evening that promises to leave audiences breathless. Her music will fill your heart, drawing them closer and inspiring change – be it global change or personal. Her powerful performance promises an evening that will leave a lasting impression!
Kiah’s music falls somewhere in between country, rock and folk genres. Her Rounder Records debut, Wary + Strange was critically acclaimed by outlets such as New York Times, NPR Morning Edition and Rolling Stone; its release marked an inspiring union between iconoclastic alt-rock that first ignited her musical passion with the roots/old-time scene that has come to define her success over time.
Kiah’s album is an exploration of song’s power to heal and transform. She draws upon her experiences as an out Black LGBT woman raised in a bible belt town to offer a deeply personal yet universal examination of grief, alienation and the journey toward full self-acceptance.
Kiah was born and raised in Tennessee where her father would play acoustic bluegrass on an acoustic guitar, inspiring her to study old-time folk music at East Tennessee State University. Though the sounds of Chattanooga have had an influence, she never felt restricted by genre boundaries – her songs combine rustic country elements with indie folk elements seamlessly!
Kiah is breaking down barriers between alternative country music and other genres in venues across the South, while serving as an ambassador of its heritage and diversity. She serves as an inspirational reminder that its people can create music from many genres of genres and roots.
On her latest Rounder release, Pensive Pop, Kiah revisits several tracks from Wary + Strange. With guttural power she sings Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” along with mountain standards like Corey Mitchell’s “Darlin Corey.” Her interpretation of Joy Division’s iconic post-punk anthem serves not as a warning against it all but mourns instead: she sees life changing forever before singing this iconic post-punk anthem as something to lament about.
Sturgill Simpson
Sturgill Simpson is one of the most celebrated names in alternative country, known for fusing blues, rock, and folk into his sound. His songs tackle themes like heartbreak, addiction, and loss – qualities his fans appreciate immensely – earning him critical acclaim while drawing comparisons to artists like Jason Isbell and Ryan Adams.
Breathitt County native and musical renegade Son Volt spent much of the 2010s challenging conventional country conventions and drawing an international following. Though continuing to produce recordings, Son Volt chose not to promote or release singles or tour extensively during his time.
But in 2022, he made an unexpected comeback with the re-release of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music and subsequent tour that brought him to Lexington’s Rupp Arena. Though his sound had significantly evolved since his ultra-country sound on High Top Mountain albums, fans in Kentucky cheered him on nonetheless.
Metamodern was followed by A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, an album which focused on reflecting upon his grandfather’s death and offering an emotional message about family. Although less immersed in outlaw country music than Metamodern, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth remains one of the more captivating works from an artist who remains one of Nashville’s most dynamic figures.
Alternative country is an ever-evolving genre that draws its influences from other genres and artists, though it doesn’t receive as much mainstream exposure as indie rock or alternative rock music scenes. While not as widely noticed as rock music genres like alternative rock and indie scene, its sound still draws from traditional country and Americana roots, inspiring critically acclaimed hybrid acts such as Kacey Musgraves or Margo Price or Jason Isbell or Sturgill Simpson who provide an alternative from today’s cookie cutter country music mainstream country scene.