Houndmouth

Houndmouth emerged from Indiana with a style steeped in vintage country-rock and the tuneful aspects of indie rock, achieving prominence through their Rough Trade Records debut in 2013. Their energetic stage presence and raw Americana sensibility turned them into regular festival attractions in the years that followed, even after a 2016 change in lineup prompted a shift toward a different sonic direction on their third album, Golden Age, which appeared in 2018. The group resurfaced in 2021 with Good for You, their fourth release and the second recorded as a trio.

The band originated in 2011 in New Albany, Indiana, just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. Its original lineup featured Matt Myers on guitar and vocals, Katie Toupin on keyboards and vocals, Zak Appleby on bass and vocals, and Shane Cody on drums and vocals. These musicians developed a dedicated audience through passionate performances and soon appeared alongside kindred acts such as Drive-By Truckers and the Lumineers. A self-titled four-song EP came out in 2012, followed in 2013 by the full-length From the Hills Below the City on Rough Trade, a robust set of rough-hewn, country-tinged rock & roll. After extensive touring that included appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and the Newport Folk Festival, the band issued Little Neon Limelight in March 2015, another collection of spare country boogie and nocturnal reflections. Toupin departed in 2016 to launch a solo career, forcing the remaining members to adapt their performances ahead of a major tour. They continued with additional touring personnel that included keyboardist Caleb Hickman along with saxophonists Graeme Gardiner and Drew Miller. The third album, Golden Age, arrived in 2018 as the first without Toupin and displayed a smoother, more pop-oriented approach. Various demos from those sessions were later compiled on the four-song EP California Voodoo, while the two-song follow-up California Voodoo, Pt. II introduced a pair of newly recorded studio tracks the next year. Singles began appearing in 2021 ahead of the fourth studio album, Good for You, which surfaced that November under the guidance of producer Brad Cook, previously involved with projects by Waxahatchee and Hiss Golden Messenger.