West Texas Exiles - “Bad Luck”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…The Vandoliers, Zack Bryan, Turnpike Troubadours 

A band that sounds exactly like its name, West Texas Exiles share reflections of spaghetti-western sunsets, grimy Southern rock, and red dirt country on their debut EP Volume 1. While dealing in traditional forms, there’s some darkness across Volume 1 that gives their music extra heft and drama. It’s a little more garage than scenic pastures, chosen spots of heaviness around an alt-country foundation. West Texas Exiles followed up their first EP with “Bad Luck”, the fullest and most adventurous single in the young catalog and recently shared four new videos recorded on Purple Bee TV all around unreleased material. Lookout for a follow-up (wild guess: it’ll be called Volume 2) sometime this year if they’ve been able to track these most recent ramblers in the studio. (Kevin McStravick)