About

Life sometimes has a way of complicating the process of making a record, which is never an easy task to begin with.

So it was in the case of Everything We Thought We Wanted, the third album by the gifted Los Angeles country/Americana band The Far West, and their first for the Blackbird Record Label. Childbirth, a national pandemic, missing masters, and the catastrophic Eaton fire that leveled Southern California’s Pasadena/Altadena area in January 2025 — this story has everything.

By the time The Far West started making their new record in 2016, they had established them- selves with their first two recordings, a self-titled 2011 set recorded by producer Colin McClean at the American Legion hall in Encinitas, California, where they established a residency, and Any Day Now, the 2014 sequel for Medina River Records, cut in the the vintage hot rod shop where McClean worked. Songwriter-bassist Robert Black describes their early approach as “kind of a punk rock ethos — it was one take, maybe two takes tops, first take, best take.”

Those releases and live appearances at the Grand Ole Echo, the popular Sunday afternoon Amer- icana showcase in L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood (whose operators Ben Redell and Matt Farber ran the Medina River imprint), and such other venues as the Hotel Cafe, the Satellite, and Joshua Tree’s celebrated Pioneertown hangout Pappy & Harriet’s, led to appearances opening for such stars as Lucinda Williams , Jackson Browne, Steve Earle, Justin Townes Earle, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Corb Lund, and Phil and Dave Alvin.

In the wake of that road work, Robert Black and fellow songwriter Lee Briante crafted a brace of new compositions distinguished by smart, piercing lyrics and deep, poignant emotion, not unlike what you hear in classic country songs penned by such masters as Hank Williams and Harlan Howard.

“I don’t think it’s consciously, ‘Let’s write a sad song,’” Lee says. “We both write independently, but we have that commonality. That’s just what comes out. Both Robert and I have always been like that. I

Brian Bachman - drums and backing vocals

Aaron Bakker - guitar and backing vocals

Robert Black - bass and backing vocals

Lee Briante - guitar, harmonica, vocals

Michael Whiteside - piano, organ, keys, backing vocals

wouldn’t call our songs straight-up sad — they’re just real. It’s reality-of-life stuff.” Robert adds, “We've said from day one that we like to make horribly painful songs that you can dance to. That's been our philosophy.”

For their new record, The Far West got the opportunity to record for the first time in a real studio — though they had to be a little crafty about it. “We were sneaking into a school of audio engineering where one of the guys in the band was a teacher,” Robert says. “There was a great old Neve board in there. We’d sneak in at midnight, and work from midnight to 4 a.m.”

The first track cut for the record was “Hope I Don’t Bleed,” a darkly searing take on mortality that features a paint-peeling lead guitar performance by Dave Alvin, whose work with the Blasters and as a solo artist was a primary influence on both Lee and Robert.

Lee recalls, "We'd just come back from being out with Dave and Phil, and Dave had joined us on stage, which was huge for us because it was something we didn't think was going to happen. We were embarrassed to ask him anything, but we said, 'Hey man, you wanna sneak into the studio with us one day?' And he said, 'Sure, while I'm in town.' My son Aldo was born on a Sunday, and Dave came into town on that Sunday, so I left my wife in the hospital, because it was so important to us. I didn't want to do anything that might fuck it up, so I said, 'Hey, I'll be there.' Robert and the guys laid down a lot of work while I was at the hospital with my wife, and Dave was scheduled to come in at a certain time and I said, 'I'm not gonna miss this shit.' and with my wife's encouragment, I left and joined the guys.”

Sessions on the basic tracks were concluded on the band’s “borrowed” time. Then, Robert says, “COVID hit in 2020. We had all the basics, and we thought, ‘Let’s finish this thing. Our guitar player Aaron [Bakker] has a project studio and we can do all the overdubs and vocal tweaks there.’ We thought, ‘We’re not going to release this thing during COVID anyway, so let’s take our fucking time and make it sound the way we want it to, for once.’ On our first record, we had kind of a punk rock ethos — it was one take, maybe two takes tops, and get it out there. First take, best take. This was different, so we spent a lot of time on it.”

"We were able to meet in person,” Lee continues. “Once it got more relaxed and people got a better understanding of COVID, we started meeting up in Altadena at Aaron's place. He had the equipment to get it done.”

The process allowed The Far West to pursue a deeper, more layered sound, employing additional musicians to extend their stylistic reach. Reflecting Lee and Robert’s affection for the soulful Southern sound of the Stax Records house band and Muscle Shoals’ Swampers, and such brass- inflected opuses

as the Byrds’ The Notorious Byrd Brothers and the Band’s Rock of Ages, the Hollywood Horns and Nic Chaffee were drafted to add extra instrumental punch to “Meet Me Where We Parted Last” and “These Lies.” And for the heartrending, John Prine-styled out-of- love song “For the Birds,” Katie Stratton of the L.A. band the What Four came in to guest on harmony vocals.

Once finished, Everything We Thought We Wanted was a powerful and affecting collection of songs that represented a gigantic artistic leap for The Far West.

And more than once it came within a hair’s breadth of never seeing the light of day.

Robert remembers, “This record almost didn’t happen so many fucking times. During COVID, we tried to get the masters, and they were lost for something like eight months. Then we couldn’t get the hard drive to boot up. Then we finally got it done, and it all almost got burned down in the Eaton fire. The record was at Aaron’s place. I think he was away for the day. His plan was to not go back to the house for hours — but he thought, ‘Ah, I’ll just run up there and grab some- thing to eat before I finish my day.’ He went up there, and the hill was on fire! He had just enough time to grab the best of his gear and the hard drive, and just run for his life. The fire was moving at the length of a football field a minute. Try to outrun that!”

That heroic sprint was worth it. Weaving its writers’ broad influences — the folk music of Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, and Bob Dylan, the hardcore country of Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels, the pop-conscious ‘60s rock of the Beatles and Badfinger, the rootsy L.A. punk of X, the Gun Club, and Tex and the Horseheads — into a congruent, emotive, soulfully played whole, Everything We Thought We Wanted is a major step forward for one of Southern California’s most talented bands.

But don’t take my word for it. Hear for yourself. —Chris Morris, Los Angeles, May 2025

(Chris Morris is the author of Los Lobos: Dream in Blue and Together Through Life: A Per- sonal Journey with the Music of Bob Dylan. He lives in Los Angeles.)

"Technically pure, slightly jaded, no-nonsense and honest with stellar storytelling for the every-man." The Far West came together in early 2010, each member having left other bands to pursue a unique sound they weren't getting elsewhere. Singer Lee Briante posted a late night craigslist ad that consisted of nothing more then the text  'looking to do something like this'.  and a Waylon Jennings video.   Texas born Robert Black responded within minutes and The Far West was born. Chicago native Aaron Bakker soon joined the band bringing his exceptional guitar playing to the lineup. With Michael Whiteside on piano & keys and Brian Bachman on drums, the line up was solidified.

Before long the band partnered with respected booking agent Mongrel Music, and have been consistently growing and selling out shows in the West ever since. The Far West have been gigging all across Southern California and the southwest at places like El Rey, The Troubadour The Echo, The Satellite, Pappy & Harriets, Hotel Cafe, Cowboy Palace Saloon, The Great American Music Hall and  across the US.  They've been winning accolades all along the line from bands, critics and DJ's alike.  The Far West has opened sold out shows for JD McPherson, Nick 13, Dave & Phil Alvin, and Eilen Jewell.

In February 2014 the band released their 2nd album Any Day Now on Medina River records.  Their second album with producer Colin McLean. He recorded their first album at an American Legion Post while the bar was open for business – and, in keeping with his interest in using unusual spaces, recorded Any Day Now in a vintage hot rod repair shop. Like their debut effort, this new album has been receiving rave reviews from everyone who hears it, proving that The Far West have something special.

The band is currently working with Little Brother Music Publishing, Two Dog Media, Medina River Records and Mongrel Music Booking.

“…An unapologetic, no-bones-about-it Americana act, the band wears its’ influences high and heavy with a shared appreciation of Gram, Uncle Tupelo, and The Band. The Far West bang out a sharp blend of country rock that comes straight from the No Depression playbook that was all the rage in the ‘90’s and early 2000’s. These fellas get points for rocking the Americana spirit and carrying on the country-rock ethos.…” Glide Magazine

“Singer-guitarist Lee Briante has a certain John Prine-ian rasp to his voice, and he's got some of Prine's cut-to-the-bone lyrical wit. When they rev up, The Far West recall any number of the '70s cosmic cowboy rockers, but when they break down, well that's the real good stuff” LA Weekly

“…their second album shows what a talented group they are. The melodic and sardonic On the Road (written by New York singer and guitarist Lee Briante about Hollywood) kicks off an album which has a pleasing flow to it… a very strong album.” The Telegraph (UK)

“Briante's deadpan voice is quite striking, a little reminiscent of Ian Felice of the Felice Brothers. And the instrumentations in consistently sweet in tone and tasteful in execution.When the band reaches the height of its powers on the strongest songs they are something to behold!” Rhythms Magazine

"The Far West do gut-wrenching country better than just about anybody" Given & Taken in Ink

"Californiality is categorically labeling The Far West as "the best L.A. country music act of 2011," and here's why: The Far West takes country music where it should be by now in 2011 - technically pure, slightly jaded, no-nonsense and honest with stellar storytelling for the every-man." Californiality

"The songwriting, musicianship and production quality on The Far West album is superb, so nothing more needs to be said. It simply must be heard."

"The Far West have an authentically Americana sound that’s been described as something like Waylon’s band jamming with Wilco. Their songs are highly personal, introspective and original and portray a deep love of American music."

"Singer Lee Briante has a kind of rangy Sam Shepard quality to him. He sings in a kind of understated drawl that is a perfect fit for the material. And while I enjoyed the performance, I think it was the songwriting that really turned my head. Tunes like, "I won't have that far to fall" and "This is where I get off" are so expertly constructed classic country songs that you can't help but be drawn in by the storytelling. Robert Black chimes in at the perfect time with lazy harmonies and the whole thing sounds at the same time familiar and fresh. When it comes to sitting down and listening to some heartfelt country music I highly recommend these boys." Southland Serenade