Welcome to Glam Country, where up may be down, and gettin’ down… is what’s up.

About The Record

The concept of Glam Country as a place and a sound first came to Nik while on a trip to the Sangre De Cristo Mountains outside Santa Fe. He defined the sound as the intersection of 1970s glam rock (Bowie, Queen, Talking Heads) and the cosmic storytelling of artists like Lucinda Williams and Willie Nelson. And as for place? That is more ambiguous. It’s the natural world, it’s community, it’s being present with one another. He had a collection of songs written over many years and wanted to put together a one-off performance to share them. With a sound and feel in mind, all he needed was a band to help bring Glam Country to life.

Returning to Portland after a couple years away, Nik and I met up at a listening party for a friend’s new album. Nik pitched the idea: guitar, bass, keys, and drums, ten songs, one show, see how it goes. It had been awhile since our last project together had faded, so I said why not. But who else would we play with? Over the next two weeks, he made a couple calls. Kristin said yes, and so did Zoey. We booked a show for the next month, figured out song arrangements, and set to work rehearsing them. We hopped on stage not knowing what to expect, but it was magic. Nolan even joined for a couple songs.

All of this happened over the course of two months in the Spring of 2023. We signed up for one show, but something clicked because we all kept showing up. The sound evolved and dynamics improved as we learned how to be a band together, to find a groove together, and to trust each other musically and personally. Most importantly, we shared a desire to create a sense of community. One show led to another, the crowds kept getting larger. We played anywhere we could, putting together shows a spots such as Alberta St Pub, LaurelThirst, Bunk Bar, Rontoms (RIP), and Kenton Club, sharing stages with so many talented musicians. It felt like we were onto something, and at the very least enjoying every moment grooving in this creative space together.

The songs on this record have existed in many shapes and forms, within this project and outside. Our interpretation of them found their footing in the live setting, as so many songs do. In the fall of 2025 we decided to document this chapter by committing them to tape. Over the course of eight months through winter and into the spring of 2026, we spent countless hours in Nik’s studio working out the puzzle. Most of what you hear on this record is the result of live takes with all of us in the room tracking together, placing more importance on how a take ‘felt’ than how ‘perfectly’ executed. Capturing the live energy while being intentional about the details is the through-line on every track. 

One morning in April it almost all fell apart when Nik got a call that the studio had been broken into. Over $20,000 worth of instruments, pedals, recording gear, and equipment had been stolen. Sentimental gear used to write these songs and record the sounds you’ll hear on the record, gone in a second. The loss was devastating. Many bands might have given up right then and there, but the universe had other ideas. Through the kindness and generosity of so many amazing people in our community, we raised enough money to replace the majority of the gear and got back to finishing our record.

The result is an album we are fiercely proud of. It is deeply personal, yet expansive. It is vulnerable but also full of joy. It is the reflection of a lot of life experience and the beauty of creating music together. Each band member wrote and performed their own compositions on the record. Nik recorded and mixed everything you hear. Bex and Julia added layers of violin, clarinet, and saxophone for that extra touch of grandeur. It was a collective effort with everyone in this project contributing in their own ways. It’s more than we could be individually, which is the whole point to begin with. Thanks for listening and hope you will join us on September 16th at Mississippi Studios to help celebrate the album release.

Phil

July 1, 2026