September 11, 2021
We reached out to A Country Western to talk about their new album, birdfeeder (released yesterday!) and the band’s involvement in the Philadelphia music scene. While the former duo turned four-piece band released their debut just last year—amidst the early stages of the pandemic—they have quickly established themselves within a rich DIY scene. With a sound rooted in slowcore, A Country Western’s music is a cathartic exercise in fuzzy melancholy and soothing ambience.
Q: Your debut only featured two of you (Derek & Garrett). How has the addition of Erik and Paris evolved the sound of A Country Western?
Having four people is way better. We can get louder and play more parts, which is helpful now that we’re playing live more frequently. We write and record stuff piece by piece so a lot of the time we can barely make a song sound like it does in the recorded version. Erik and Paris are super talented and make that easy, huge props to them. Erik also contributed to writing the album, and he sings on the track “Superglue.”
Q: Your new album birdfeeder just came out yesterday; what was the inspiration behind the name?
It started with an obsession over nature and creatures in the woods and stuff - spending more time outside while you couldn’t hang out with people inside during the pandemic. We went camping and got a book about birds, and after a long time trying to think of a name, just picked “birdfeeder.” We thought it sounded cool, plus we grew up in a town called Audubon, where all the streets are named after birds and there’s bird sanctuaries and stuff.
Q: Both your debut and birdfeeder had physical releases in the form of cassettes. Is there something about your musical aesthetic that lends itself to this format in particular?
The collectibility and affordability of cassettes make it hugely appealing to a DIY community. They sound all nice and warm, sort of imperfect like the rest of the process. Most of our favorite songs from other artists are like tape demos and stuff so it's cool to channel that in our own releases.
Q: Back in April, you were featured on a compilation titled “Through the Soil” that benefitted the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and featured about 70 different artists on it. What does that cause mean to you all individually, and how did it feel to be featured alongside such a diverse and talented crop of artists?
I think we all strongly agree that mental illness is something that needs to be taken very seriously, especially in this past year and a half, and we’re thrilled to have contributed to this massive project that provided so much support to NAMI and raised awareness about their cause. We were so stoked when we got the invite, it was totally unreal seeing our name with so many other legendary artists from Philly and beyond.
Q: There seems to be a sense of camaraderie between you and many of the bands you’ve played with. Would that sentiment apply to most of the Philly/NJ music scene, and how would you describe that scene to those unfamiliar with it?
Honestly, most of the people we’ve met and have been playing with were friends that we made virtually when there were no other means to do so. When we started playing live and shows started happening again a few months ago, it was a little nerve racking to meet those people in real life. Turns out everyone is very cool and welcoming, and it feels like we fit right in. As for what the Philly/NJ scene is like, everyone just really fucking likes good music and being loud at shows. Everything we’ve been to has been so packed, and people are just eager to see live stuff again. It’s awesome.
We'd like to thank A Country Western once again for corresponding with BLIGATORY! You can find their new album, birdfeeder, on all major streaming platforms or purchase it via Bandcamp!
Comentarios