Creature and the Woods Redefine Southern California Roots Rock

For the past decade, the word “Americana” has become synonymous with bands like Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers, or any other group that features at least three guys with questionable facial hair, suspenders, and pork pie hats stomping on wooden floors and then slapping the side of their thighs. Not to take anything away from that vibe, but if you were looking for something a bit more earthen and psychedelic, you needed to look elsewhere.

With their J Tree EP dropping April 12 on Blind Owl, Creature and the Woods are jumping back into the fray with four new songs that shine like beautiful tin cups amongst a shelf of rusty soundalikes. Their harmonies are reminiscent of vintage CSN&Y, and their country twang has just enough punk rock sensibility to not sound derivative. Recorded while “immerse in the light of the super moon over a handful of days in Joshua Tree National Park,” J Tree sounds just like you’d expect it to: simple, honest, and baked with just enough magic to ward off the mainstream demons.

Study up on Creature and the Woods and check out the video for “2 Golden Coins” here.