Biography
Country Mice emerged as a Brooklyn rock outfit whose sound merges the twangy melodic approach of Neil Young and Jeff Tweedy with the raw guitar force once delivered by indie stalwarts Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. Jason Rueger, who grew up in the tiny Kansas farm town of Beattie (population around 300), launched the project after relocating from his rural roots. Although his hometown offered little exposure to rock music, Rueger cultivated a deep passion for the form during childhood and took up the guitar as a teenager. Intent on building a professional career, he relocated to Brooklyn, where a mutual acquaintance connected him with fellow Kansas native Ben Bullington; the two guitarists began collaborating immediately. Rueger later encountered Wisconsin-born drummer Kurt Kuehn at his day job and invited him into the fledgling group.
A quip from one of Kuehn’s acquaintances labeling the trio “country mice” supplied the band’s initial moniker, We Are Country Mice. Bassist Mike Feldman, who hailed from a small rural community in upstate New York rather than the Midwest, soon completed the lineup as a quartet. The band’s debut single, “Make Your Own Damn Fun,” appeared in 2009 on Brooklyn’s Lotion Records and earned strong critical notices along with solid sales. Staff members Toby Rascal and Hbear at Kanine Records responded so favorably that they chose We Are Country Mice’s follow-up single, “There’s No Other,” as the inaugural release on their new imprint, Wao Wao Records. In 2010 the group shortened its name to Country Mice, and the following year Wao Wao issued the full-length Twister, which drew widespread praise and prompted extensive road work.
A quip from one of Kuehn’s acquaintances labeling the trio “country mice” supplied the band’s initial moniker, We Are Country Mice. Bassist Mike Feldman, who hailed from a small rural community in upstate New York rather than the Midwest, soon completed the lineup as a quartet. The band’s debut single, “Make Your Own Damn Fun,” appeared in 2009 on Brooklyn’s Lotion Records and earned strong critical notices along with solid sales. Staff members Toby Rascal and Hbear at Kanine Records responded so favorably that they chose We Are Country Mice’s follow-up single, “There’s No Other,” as the inaugural release on their new imprint, Wao Wao Records. In 2010 the group shortened its name to Country Mice, and the following year Wao Wao issued the full-length Twister, which drew widespread praise and prompted extensive road work.
Albums
Singles
