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We all know Superman’s origin story: a rocket ship
crash-lands in a Kansas cornfield, a baby who will develop
unimaginable powers rescued by an elderly childless couple. If
country has a similar smoking crater, conventional wisdom points to
the Carter Family, with Mother Maybelle Carter’s distinctive
“Carter scratch” picking style paving the way for that je ne sais
quois that makes country music country.
Family bands can be found in so many key moments of country
history. The Louvin Brothers performed searing duets that proudly
replicated traditional sounds with an uncanny urgency, their
lifelong experience singing with each other producing an eerie tone
that threatened to swamp their individualism. Meanwhile, the Everly
Brothers revived a genre that was seen as increasingly backwards
and stultified. With one foot in rock and roll and the other in
country and gospel, the Everlys’ sweet tones and seeming sincerity
made the syncopated beats of rock – seen as scandalous due to its
association with Black artists – into a safer and more accessible
sound to country fans. The countrypolitan sound, with its full orchestras
and staid yearning, was championed by none other than
husband-and-wife duet George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
Today, the tradition continues with the likes of Brothers Osborne,
O.N.E. The Duo, the Kentucky Gentlemen, and Dolly Parton &
Family, to name just a few. Let's dive into the dynamics of country
family bands past and present.
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The influence of family is tightly woven into the
fabric of country. For over a century, the genre has fostered a
rich tradition of family bands, songs about family, and has been
built around the impressive legacies of multi-generational country
music families like the Williamses, the Guthries, the Carters, and
many more.
Drawing from the far corners of American roots, country, bluegrass,
folk, and gospel, our roundup of iconic country family bands offers
a broad look at the parents, children, siblings, and spouses who
have carried (and continue to carry) the torch of familial country
music.
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Fall marks the beginning of “over the river and
through the woods season,” whether your destination is grandma’s
house, an off-season beach, a u-pick apple orchard or pumpkin
patch, a spangled and harlequin forest, or an autumn music
and arts festival. As you navigate the changing season and enjoy
leaf-peeping, apple butter, hot cocoa, and hot dogs roasted over
the fire, there’s one genre certain to accompany you through each
and every picturesque context the “-ber” months give us – that’s
good country.
Country is perfect for fall, whether you’re raising a beer,
whiskey, or cider alone or among friends. From driving through
tobacco country during curing season in September, to tailgating at
the football stadium, to winding your way over the Smoky Mountains,
to soaking in the last bit of summer sun, there’s a country song
ready to soundtrack your falling back in love with cozy
season.
Dripping with nostalgia, evocative text painting, a rich and deep
connection to nature, and a reverence for community, folkways, and
tradition, country music just may be synonymous with fall – and our
playlist certainly helps
make that case. We hope you enjoy listening and we wanna know: what
country songs always get you in an autumnal mood? Did they make the
list?
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Editor’s note: Each
issue, our co-founder Ed Helms will share a handful of good country
artists, albums, and songs direct from his own earphones in Ed's Picks.
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Also in this issue of Good Country:
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