Country music as a genre can be polarizing between crowds, with many people holding biases against and towards country music—myself included. Though one of the largest perceptions of country music simplifies the genre to the style of modern country music, which is a poor representation of the genre as a whole. Country music exists beyond the scale of red truck boot songs with autotune and heavy electronic influence. While some people love it, that style of country is not inherently representative of what country always meant or stood for. While it may be a crazy statement, the genre of Midwest emo can at many points be more closely related to the ideas and foundations of country music than its own mainline modern counterpart—it is all a part of the complexity of the genre.
A large sense of this complexity in the genre derives from the original sources of country, and how it has expanded through the decades in a way that is very similar to how metal became hardcore, scrams, grunge, etc. All of this music spans from culture and aesthetic, and morphs into another identity within the culture of country music. These subgenres would be dark/gothic country, country rock, country folk, old country, alternative country, and more. Alternative country specifically as a genre is somewhat of a nothing burger of vagueness, because the alternative definition just means something aside and different from the streamlined and popularly consumed music. This specific genre is important because it contains stylized music which can overlap with other genres but exists within its own space.
A specific alternative country band which I love is the Handsome Family; they are a contemporary country band but are vastly different from many big country artists in the modern scene. They keep a certain charm of old country with choice of instruments and song progression, with one of my favorite albums Honey Moon being intoned with a ballad- like and airy western style. If one were to compare that album to the mainstream artists of the 2010s, it would be vastly different, the music itself is not beyond traditional country roots with subtle contemporary fixings. Other artists like Songs: Ohia have a discography which ranges in tone among these subgenres, but cannot be placed into a singular subgenre. So the discography exists as a whole within alternative country music, but specific albums exist within their own spheres of subgenres. While the notion of alternative music is somewhat shallow, it is a wide descriptor that is stylistically different from the mainline music in the market.
While still existing within the larger brand of alternative music, dark country is also a niche subgenre that meshes traditional country with gloomier and darker feelings. The subgenre sticks to the roots of country music in many respects, leaning heavily into the incorporation of smooth yet raw singing and the use of traditional instruments, alongside the grit of drums and electronic guitars. The artist Songs: Ohia and their album The Lioness is the first thing to come to mind, and the second would be the more experimental group All Them Witches. While the genre is niche, it exists fractured within other genres, and is in my opinion representative of the growth and capabilities of the whole genre when its roots are kept in mind.
Beyond the analysis and intricacies of these important genres, there is a lot to dig into when considering the roots and meaning of country music—especially considering how the mainline country is now. Modern country, in my opinion, has come to represent only a shadow of what old country was. Much of the mainline modern country songs lack the same sense of authenticity that the classic music was able to capture. This could be attributed to so many things, corporatization especially, which contributes to much of the songwriting being formulaic: relying on buzzwords and shallow American imagery. Furthermore, the lack of authenticity extends beyond the shallow writing of the songs, but also the sound which can be over produced and modernized. The use of autotune in modern country is exceptionally prevalent. While it may follow the trend of modern music, it separates the raw feelings and roots of country from the music. Considering the instruments in country music are crucial at portraying these authentic feelings, and as mainline music follows the trend of modernized and less authentic/ pastoral sounds, it likewise separates the music from its roots.
The roots of country derive from similar roots to folk music, creating art through authentic connections and raw voices and feelings. The use of traditional instruments like acoustic guitars and emotive voices allow these western tales to be transmitted through song. These tales detailed both the beauty and troubles of life in a way that is poetically western and authentic. A well-known example would be artists like Hank Williams or Marty Robbins, both detailing western plights and stories through raw and relatable songs. Despite the changing times these themes and sensations of country music and its roots were kept up, like through Johnny Cash, or the American folk revival with artists like Joan Baez. The roots of country are centered on the emotional plight of being alive in the west, and are often anti-consumerist and naturalist– adhering to a pastoral identity.
When considering how these roots have influenced music, it’s evident that they’re reflected decently well in the music genre of Midwest emo. The human emotion and similar themes of western plight in their songs, often intended to be raw and relatable to the audience. Midwest emo is interconnected with acoustic and pastoral music as a key aesthetic of it, and in some niche communities there is discourse surrounding the pipeline of Midwest emo to alternative country–due to the striking similarities in roots and ideals. This pipeline often refers to the end result being the “y’allternative country” genre. Despite playing around a decorated version of a potentially nothing burger word, the “y’allternative” genre is important to reflect the striking intricacies within country music and its real identity. Country music is not adequately represented through modern music and lack of authenticity, but rather its rooted identity exists within a y’allternative gaze.
Featured image by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash.
