Biography
Originating in Nashville, the band Country Westerns delivers a raucous brand of rock & roll infused with gritty country edges and unpolished bravado. This stripped-down trio channels a gritty, emotionally direct vibe that feels primed for rowdy bars yet steers clear of standard country-rock or Americana tropes. After building a reputation through energetic performances, they issued their debut self-titled album in 2020, capturing both their abrasive guitar-driven approach and the raw, introspective quality of the songwriting. Their follow-up, Forgive the City, arrived in 2023 and retained the same unvarnished sincerity while delivering greater sonic force.
Joey Plunkett on guitar and vocals and Brian Kotzur on drums launched Country Westerns in Nashville. Born in Atlanta, Plunkett first gained attention in New York City as part of the alt-country outfit the Weight and through collaborations with power pop specialist Gentleman Jesse. Once relocated to Nashville, he connected with Kotzur, whose résumé includes work alongside the Silver Jews plus Super Bowl Rocket Ship and fronting the side project Tim Chad & Sherry.
Beginning in 2016, Plunkett and Kotzur convened twice weekly to shape material, occasionally receiving input from Kotzur’s Silver Jews colleague David Berman. After a handful of informal gatherings, the pair started performing at small Nashville clubs and DIY spaces. In 2019 bassist Sabrina Rush joined to complete the lineup; although an accomplished violinist who had handled tour management for established artists, this marked her first onstage experience on bass. With their sound growing more cohesive, they opted to record outside Nashville, traveling instead to New York to collaborate with producer Matt Sweeney. Following two self-funded sessions, Fat Possum Records signed them after hearing the results, leading to the June 2020 release of Country Westerns.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic blocked touring opportunities, the album earned favorable notices that helped expand the band’s audience. To bridge the gap they recorded the EP Country Westerns EP, issued digitally and as a limited 10" vinyl edition in June 2022; it contained the new track “Coming Down Too” alongside renditions of songs by Dead Moon, Jad Fair, and Richard Thompson. In November 2022 they unveiled the single “Money on the Table,” the initial preview of their second album Forgive the City, which Fat Possum released in April 2023. Once again produced by Matt Sweeney, the record introduced bassist Jordan Jones—formerly of the L.A. group Easy—who took over from Sabrina Rush.
Joey Plunkett on guitar and vocals and Brian Kotzur on drums launched Country Westerns in Nashville. Born in Atlanta, Plunkett first gained attention in New York City as part of the alt-country outfit the Weight and through collaborations with power pop specialist Gentleman Jesse. Once relocated to Nashville, he connected with Kotzur, whose résumé includes work alongside the Silver Jews plus Super Bowl Rocket Ship and fronting the side project Tim Chad & Sherry.
Beginning in 2016, Plunkett and Kotzur convened twice weekly to shape material, occasionally receiving input from Kotzur’s Silver Jews colleague David Berman. After a handful of informal gatherings, the pair started performing at small Nashville clubs and DIY spaces. In 2019 bassist Sabrina Rush joined to complete the lineup; although an accomplished violinist who had handled tour management for established artists, this marked her first onstage experience on bass. With their sound growing more cohesive, they opted to record outside Nashville, traveling instead to New York to collaborate with producer Matt Sweeney. Following two self-funded sessions, Fat Possum Records signed them after hearing the results, leading to the June 2020 release of Country Westerns.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic blocked touring opportunities, the album earned favorable notices that helped expand the band’s audience. To bridge the gap they recorded the EP Country Westerns EP, issued digitally and as a limited 10" vinyl edition in June 2022; it contained the new track “Coming Down Too” alongside renditions of songs by Dead Moon, Jad Fair, and Richard Thompson. In November 2022 they unveiled the single “Money on the Table,” the initial preview of their second album Forgive the City, which Fat Possum released in April 2023. Once again produced by Matt Sweeney, the record introduced bassist Jordan Jones—formerly of the L.A. group Easy—who took over from Sabrina Rush.
Albums
Singles
