April 9, 2024 1:45 pm
GMT
Last Edited
June 14, 2024 9:49 am
GMT
Spotify
It seems like every time an English indie guitar band goes over to SXSW these days they come back home wearing a cowboy hat extolling the joys of two-stepping and telling anyone who’ll listen about Townes Van Zandt, but the tradition of indie bands soaking up the influences of country and americana goes back to a time long before that.
Jonathan Richman made a whole album of country songs, Orange Juice added a little red dirt twang to their Scottish indie pop sound on Texas Fever back in the early '80s and Eugene Kelly from The Vaselines and Isobel Campbell from Belle & Sebastian discovered their hidden country sides after going solo.
More recently, Jess Williamson and Waxahatchee recorded one of the most quintessential country records of recent years when they got together to form Plains. Phoebe Bridgers and boygenius have never shied away from the influence that Taylor Swift and The Chicks had on them, while indie artists like Faye Webster, Florry and Fust have all got a country edge to their cool slacker pop.
We’ve put together our favourites in our Holler playlist of The Best Country Indie Songs for those of you who like a little bit of slap, crackle, and twang with your indie pop.
See the full tracklist below:
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1.
Abilene
Plains
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2.
Time Ain't Accidental
Jess Williamson
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3.
Right Back to It
Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman
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4.
Massachusetts
Jensen McRae
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5.
I'm In Love
Slaughter Beach, Dog
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6.
Cowgirl Giving
Florry
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7.
Naturally
Sarah Gross
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8.
Johnny Cash
Sofia Wolfson
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9.
Daisy
Anna St. Louis
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10.
Can't Cut Loose
Erin Rae
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11.
Country
Sam Evian
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12.
Keeps Me Running
Esther Rose
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13.
Who Did You Leave For Me
Molly Parden
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14.
Sadness As A Gift
Adrienne Lenker
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15.
It's Not A Sad Thing
Faye Webster
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16.
Motion Sickness
Phoebe Bridgers
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17.
How Quickly Your Heart Mends
Courtney Marie Andrews
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18.
My Love Mine All Mine
Mitski
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19.
Big Time
Angel Olsen and Sturgill Simpson
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20.
New Song
Maggie Rogers and Del Water Gap
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21.
Wide Open Spaces
Soccer Mommy
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22.
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23.
Shampoo
Izaak Opatz
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24.
Aloe Vera
Chris Acker
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25.
Runnin
Ohtis
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26.
Suburban Outlaw
Maggie Antone
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27.
Violent Jubilee
Fust
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28.
She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Double)
Wednesday
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29.
You're Still The One
Christian Lee Hutson and Julia Jacklin
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30.
Everywhere I Go
Cat Clyde
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31.
Pigeons
Bill Callahan
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32.
Big Love
Camera Obscura
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33.
Born For Loving You
Big Thief
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34.
Lucky
Teethe
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35.
i was all over her
salvia palth
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36.
Nothing on This Earth Can Make Me Smile
Dougie Poole
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37.
get clean
vegas water taxi
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38.
Lamplight
Del Water Gap
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39.
El Paso
Howdy
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40.
I Try
Kacey Johansing
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41.
Tonight
Katy J Pearson
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42.
The Light Of Day
Kacy & Clayton
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43.
Roll Back Your Clocks
Buck Meek
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44.
Tear Us Apart
Becca Mancari
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45.
Karaoke Angel
Molly Sarlé
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46.
Long Wave
Bonny Doon
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47.
One Of These Days
Bedouine
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48.
Both My Friends
Harrison Whitford
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49.
Every Once In A While
Cut Worms
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50.
Anything But Me
MUNA
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51.
Shanghai Cigarettes
Caitlin Rose
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52.
Wakin on a Pretty Day
Kurt Vile
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53.
Pressure to Party
Julia Jacklin
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54.
Let Me Get There
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
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55.
By Your Side
Beachwood Sparks
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56.
Fade Into You
Mazzy Star
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57.
Corner Store
Jonatha Richman
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58.
The Day I Went Down to Texas
Orange Juice
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59.
I'm Holding You
Ween
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60.
Steak For Chicken
Moldy Peaches
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61.
Older Faster
Eugene Kelly
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62.
(Do You Wanna) Come Walk with Me
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan
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63.
Checking Out
Divorce
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64.
Never Love Again
Sentimental Family Band
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65.
Fiddle
Bad Flamingo
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66.
Five and Dime
Hazel English
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67.
Valleys (My Love)
Whitney
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68.
Town
Val Son
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69.
There Was A Moon
Magic AL and Molly Searle
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70.
Smoke Signals
Phoebe Bridgers
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71.
Pretend You Love Me
Sonny & The Sunsets
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72.
Heartbreaker
Girls
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73.
Time Is Just the Same
Isobel Campbell
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74.
Cowgirl in a Ditch
Florry
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75.
Asheville Blues
Adeem the Artist
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76.
Drunk on a Plane
Izaak Opatz
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77.
TV Dinners
MJ Lenderman
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78.
Cool Dry Place
Katy Kirby
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79.
Teeth Marks
S.G. Goodman
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80.
Hot Rotten Grass Smell
Wednesday
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81.
Morning Zoo
Ratboys
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82.
Dreamer Boy
Suckerpunch
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83.
Low Sun
Hermanos Gutiérrez
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84.
Oom Sha La La
Haley Heynderickx
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85.
Broadview
Slow Pulp
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86.
Cowboy Nudes
Geese
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87.
Chevrolet Van
The Nude Party
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88.
You Can't Stay The Same
Bonny Doon and Waxahatchee
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89.
Ponies in Town
Jess Williamson
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90.
Right Side of My Neck
Faye Webster
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91.
It Must Be Someone Else's Fault
Courtney Marie Andrews
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92.
All The Good Times
Angel Olsen
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93.
If Only You Played Football As Well As You Played Girls
Maggie Antone
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94.
Betty
Christian Lee Hutson
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95.
Emmylou
The Best Westerns
-
96.
Wanna Give My Love
The Sons of Rainier
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97.
Room in the City
Kassi Valazza
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98.
Fort Benton
Caroline Keys
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99.
Neon Lights
The Lostines
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100.
Groggy Morning
Steph Green
Subscribe and Listen to Holler's Best Country Indie Songs Playlist Above.
For more of Holler's playlists, see below:
READ MORE:
- The Best Country Songs About Horses
- The Best Country Songs About Cowboys
- The Best Country Songs About Boots
Written by Jof Owen