Beyond Nashville: No Thee No Ess
Psychedelia and country aren’t often the best bedfellows, but Cardiff band No Thee No Ess have managed to create an album that highlights the best of both worlds. The band are leaders, not followers, pushing the genre of country to exciting and intriguing new places.
Perhaps intriguing is the best way to describe ‘Distant Country’. It feels like an invitation in; laid-back, easy to listen to but also sonically interesting. It’s an album every country music fan should listen to – and every musician should aspire to.
Described by Andy Fung, one half of the band’s core duo, ‘Distant Country’ is portrayed as a “journey on a wagon, a waltz through the country genre.” This album stands out with a truly singular set of sounds, featuring an array of guest musicians who join the band around the metaphorical campfire. Among these talents are Gareth Bonello (The Gentle Good) on banjo, Kate Ronconi (Lost Tuesday Society) on violin, and Rhodri Ratatosk on pedal steel, contributing to the album’s unique and immersive atmosphere.
No Thee No Ess represents a long-standing collaboration between visual artists and musicians Paul Battenbough and Andy Fung. Both have a distinguished history in the music scene, with previous projects including Derrero, Cymbient, and The Cosmic Array, showcasing their diverse artistic capabilities. Their partnership has culminated in ‘Distant Country,’ produced and collaboratively crafted with Frank Naughton.
Following their 2022 psychedelic release, ‘Dimmer Switch,’ ‘Distant Country’ marks a shift towards a more laid-back and dreamy feel, infused with country influences. The album retains the band’s signature aesthetic while introducing more traditional song structures and acoustic instruments, offering a fresh yet familiar sound for their listeners.
The album was engineered and produced by Frank Naughton and No Thee No Ess at Ty Drwg studio in Cardiff. The inclusion of exceptional guest musicians such as Frank Naughton on bass and piano, Rhodri Viney on pedal steel, Gareth Bonello on banjo, Kate Ronconi on violin, and Sarah Passmore on vocals elevates the album, reflecting the band’s enduring love for alternative country music.
Tracks like ‘All Angelic’ stand out as stoner country hits, and there’s an element of poetry to each song, a philosophy through music. It’s a body of work that could seem out of time, but thanks to the impeccable production – that easily balances light touches with skilled instrumentation – and sound design, it is unmistakably current. It’s probably No Thee No Ess’s greatest work so far, which isn’t to say their previous work was lacking. With blended-out guitar riffs that slip into tracks like ‘Don’t Try Too Hard,’ it maintains interest throughout.
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Hannah Larvin, Editor, Maverick Magazine
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