With Country Sides, Austin’s the Band of Heathens take a clear-eyed look at where they have been and why they are still here. Arriving as the band marks 20 years together, the 11-song set captures a group comfortable with its identity, shaped by time on the road, creative independence, and a refusal to chase anything other than the songs themselves.

Since forming in 2005, the Heathens have quietly built a career that has never fit neatly inside the Americana conversation. Their blend of country, rock, and soul has always felt broader than any label, carried by sharp songwriting and the natural chemistry between founding members Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist. Early momentum came the old-fashioned way, through constant touring, word of mouth, and moments like their appearance on Austin City Limits, but the real foundation was built night after night in rooms where trust was earned, not marketed.

That same self-directed mindset runs straight through Country Sides. The album was recorded at Quist’s Austin-area studio and drawn from a deep pool of material written during a reflective stretch. Rather than chase a specific concept, the songs circle familiar themes that have only grown sharper with age: time passing, hard lessons, relationships tested and repaired, and the long view of a life spent making music without a safety net.

Songs like “Take The Cake,” “Pleasing People,” and “High On Our Own Supply” lean into those truths with a balance of humor and hard-won perspective. There is confidence here, but not polish for its own sake. The arrangements stay rooted and unforced, letting the stories do the heavy lifting and allowing the band to sound like itself rather than a version shaped by expectation.

Two decades in, the Band of Heathens have little left to prove. They have weathered lineup changes, industry shifts, and the slow grind of building an audience. Along the way came milestones like the platinum-certified “Hurricane,” but success never redirected the compass. If anything, it reinforced the value of staying independent and trusting instinct.

“We’re grateful to be this far into the ride with fans who’ve followed every turn,” Quist says with Jurdi adding, “We’ve built this on our own terms. And we’re proud of the path that got us here.”

For additional tour dates, visit The Band Of Heathens' tour page.