It’s easy to see what Margo Price heard in Jack Quiggins and Ryan Jennings, the duo behind Teddy And The Rough Riders. The two Nashville artists play a uniquely original brand of country music that has absolutely nothing to do with the mullet-sporting, overproduced, twangy pop that has dominated country radio currently. Rather, Quiggins and Jennings play a compelling mix of honky tonk, cosmic country and roots rock. In a city brimming with talented musicians, the duo managed to win over Price, who was compelled to produce their last record.
The follow-up, Downhome, was produced by the band along with Jake Davis. Like their previous record, across 11 tracks here, they dip in and out of various country subgenres, adding buzzing guitars on the opening track “Bullet” (kicking off the record with one of the most satisfying tracks is a ballsy move until you realize that what follows is often just as great). “Fast Livin’,” a relatable song for the times about living beyond your means, is a perfect nod to psychedelic country and slots in nicely on any ‘70s inspired Cosmic Country playlist.
“Love After Life” is a sweet, slower track, while “Golden Light” is another nostalgia-inspired song with layered backing vocals from Erin Rae and Emily Nenni. Like so many other songs just now coming to the public’s attention, it’s a song about truly appreciating spending time with friends and doing what you love, coming out of the Covid pandemic.
They get the fuzz pedal back on “Hippies,” another catchy rock-inspired country song (or country-inspired rock song), that sounds like nothing else coming out of Nashville at the moment. The dialogue in the song is personal for Quiggins, who was inspired to write the track after playing a gig backing up Whitey Morgan. He was cornered by someone at a show and listened as the conversation careened from politics and social issues to whether Quiggins would make it in the music industry. “He continued to berate me about my long hair and demeanor,” said Quiggins. “Then he decided to end the conversation with praise and the infamous line we used in the song. Who knows, maybe he’s not wrong.” That line: “Hippies make the best country music.”
If there is any justice in the music world (and with Morgan Wallen having sold more than five million albums, there is certainly no testimony that there is) Quiggins and Jennings will be proof the world needs that hippies really do make the best country music. Downhome is evidence enough that they do.
