Two Cow Garage

Originating from Columbus, Ohio, the sharp-edged alt-country group Two Cow Garage merges the melodic twang of classic country with a forceful, high-volume drive that echoes Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr. alongside the Jayhawks or Blue Rodeo. In autumn 2001, guitarist and singer Micah Schnabel—raised in the rural Midwestern town of Bucyrus, Ohio—launched the project after developing a taste for vintage country while rejecting mainstream rock radio in favor of harder sounds. At age 18 he relocated to Columbus and began working with drummer Dustin Harigle. After witnessing an early performance, guitarist and attorney Chris Flint, previously the manager of the Lilybandits, was impressed by the group’s raw energy and Schnabel’s material; he joined as both manager and occasional guitarist, completing the lineup when bassist Shane Sweeney came aboard.

The band issued its debut album, Please Turn the Gas Back On, on Shelterhouse Records in fall 2002 and spent the next two years on the road, accumulating 332,000 miles on its van. Their second release, The Wall Against Our Backs, appeared in 2004 and earned strong critical praise as the musicians sustained their demanding tour pace, which fan and filmmaker John Boston documented in the film The Long Way Around: One Badass Year with Two Cow Garage. April 2007 brought the aptly named third album, III.

Speaking in Cursive, the group’s fourth album, arrived in 2008 via a joint release on Shelterhouse and Suburban Home. By then Harigle and Flint had departed; drummer Cody Smith and keyboardist Andy Schell filled the vacancies while the band continued its heavy touring. Suburban Home issued the next record, Sweet Saint Me, in 2010. The following year Smith and Schell exited, and David Murphy joined on drums. After a successful crowdfunding effort, the musicians delivered The Death of the Self Preservation Society on Last Chance Records in 2013. In 2015 Todd Farrell, Jr. became the new guitarist, restoring the quartet format, and the group returned in 2016 with Brand New Flag.