Briscoe, West of It All - abbreviated bio
West of It All, the debut album from Americana folk-rock band Briscoe, is a coming-of-age
soundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country. Written in the Lone Star State and
recorded in North Carolina, it's an album that charts its own musical geography, with production
from Grammy nominee Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night
Sweats) and adventurous songwriting that bridges the gap between classic American roots music
and its modern-day incarnation.
From free backyard performances on the outskirts of UT Austin's campus to sold-out gigs at
Antone's Nightclub and The Continental Club Gallery, Briscoe's growth — like the group's music
itself — has been organic. Bandmates Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton met as teenagers,
reunited as students at UT Austin, and built their grassroots following the old-school way: by
carving out a sound that nodded to the golden era of folk, rock, and pop music, then getting
onstage and building a genuine relationship with their audience. Signed by ATO Records while
still pursuing undergraduate degrees, the Texas natives wrote West of It All as graduation loomed
in the distance, funneling the stories of their college experience — from heartbreak to hard-won
lessons to weekend trips into the rural countryside — into a raw, rugged blend of classic and
contemporary influences.
With contributions from drummer Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver) and multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook
(Megafaun, Hiss Golden Messenger), West of It All offers a singular version of genre-fluid folk
music, from rootsy rave-ups like "The Well" to brainy, literary songs like "Sparrows." It's a self-
assured album that follows no directions but its very own, stacked organic performance and sharp
songwriting that negotiates the transition from adolescence to adulthood