Bourbon Sprawl’s rhythm-forward sound might not make them seem like your Grandma’s country band, but it’s a pretty safe bet your Grandma would find herself out on the dance floor anyway. The Hudson Valley-based quintet has been drawing a crowd of revelers and two-steppers to shows all over our area since relocating to Kingston, NY from Brooklyn in 2018 or so, and nobody seems to mind that the band’s sonic stew nestles soul, southern funk and white-hot jazz-inflected improvisation next to callbacks to Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and other classic country icons. 

“There’s a real crowd that comes out and wants to dance to country music when we play, and they seem to really like it when we mix it up and get funky or whatever” says Ezra. The supposed honky-tonk revival that has seen an uptick in cowboy boots and line dancing has garnered lots of attention, but in the band’s mind it’s not just a cosplaying fad. “People seem to really find a connection when we play, in the music, in the dancing or just the people” says Ben, adding “It’s something you can’t get staring at a screen.” 

Founded by singer/guitarist Ben Ratliff and bassist/singer Ezra Gale in New York City, Bourbon Sprawl began as a literal hoot- a chance to get together and play some fun country songs. When the pair separately relocated upstate, they recruited drummer Bram Kincheloe, guitarist Luke Schwartz and pedal steel guitarist Jon Light and quickly began morphing into a prolific original band with a unique, funkified country sound. “We started writing our own songs and the rule was they had to fit unnoticed in between the Waylon Jennings and Buck Owens or whatever,” says Ratfliff.