About

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 re-released their self-titled album AND debut EP Phenom on vinyl and CD formats via Crafted Sounds in 2023. Together these two projects encapsulate the earliest era of the band: home recordings with digital transposition and sample chopping.

A Country Western's latest full-length record, Life on the Lawn (2024), 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.

A Country Western has returned in 2026 with a brand new record. Audition Tape furthers the sound the band has spent nearly a decade building, arriving with less of the immediacy that drove Life on the Lawn. Electronic textures are sprinkled throughout, surfacing in the seams between guitar parts and across the record's instrumental passages, while several songs settle into slow burns that reward patience over impact. The band's command of dynamics is as sharp as ever, and the space between quiet and loud is still where these songs live. (Real heads will appreciate the sneaky Solvent OS remix at the end, courtesy of Paris.)

The album came together roughly in thirds: demos tracked at home, sessions at the band's Philly studio space, and a weekend with Dan Angel (recently worked on Lotto by TAGABOW), formerly of West Philly's Sex Dungeon Studios. Angel works almost entirely analog with the computer off, a process drummer Garrett Miades described as "esoteric."

The record was mixed by the band, Ian Norris (Taurus Judge, Menu), and Dan Angel. It was then mastered by Alex Nagle.

Audition Tape will be released via Crafted Sounds October 21 on LP, CD, tape, and digital formats.