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.
A Country Western will celebrate their release in Philadelphia on March 22 at
God's Auto Body. They are also heading out on two weekend runs this spring
with more road dates to follow later in the year.

Notable Mentions:
“This idiosyncratic back and forth between the slow hum of shoegaze and heavy
experimental rock pushes A Country Western into a more memorable place than
other shoegaze acts who are content to stagnate themselves within their slowcore
realms.” - Does That Make Sense?
“A bleary-eyed lull, the album seems to only be on the brink of consciousness.
Downtempo beats, distorted vocals, and drowsy guitars obscure their minimalist
lyrics that mimic the half-formed thoughts you have right before falling asleep.”
- WXPN