To start—well, we started Contrary Western to make sense of how we ended up here.
Here being Nashville, Tennessee, and we being one native of and two transplants to this city, where, a little while back, we started asking artists how they ended up where they are—and if they wouldn’t mind sharing what it means to have made it to where they are, whether through their songs and shows or through stories they’ve collected along the way.
Our logo here appears against the first frame of film used for Contrary Western, which didn't expose quite right from a morning we spent with Arlo McKinley, one of the best there is at making sense of what it means to be or not be here. We’re not too sure if that undeveloped shot is a sign, since it might have just been something about the light in the studio somewhere in East Nashville, but there’s a lot more in development from Contrary Western, if you’ll bear with us, with some music reviews and interviews on the way here.
We're kicking things off not only with Arlo but a lot of artists we admire for their light, including Senora May, Charley Crockett, James Hand, and more—artists who’ve already been making us feel a little bit better about what it means to have ended up here, artists we hope might make you feel a little bit better about where you are.
Go Western. Stay Contrary.