Hailing from Texas, semi-western is an indie band consisting of Ty Bohrnstedt and Daniel Gonzalez. Their creative undertaking took root in their childhood, as they crossed paths as aspiring tennis players competing in national junior tournaments around the country. They would later reunite in their 20s, sparking a musical connection that would become the foundation of semiwestern.
Formerly known as The Vliets, semiwestern has garnered recognition in the vibrant music scene of Austin, Texas. They were once voted as the “Best Emerging Rock Band” in Austin by The Deli Magazine, and have opened for notable artists such as Alex G, DIIV, Elvis Depressedly, and Frankie Rose.
If you find something that works, it’s best to stick with it, and that’s exactly what semiwestern did when they wrote the melody on they’re new single “I never mean what i say”. Simple but effective, the lyrics work they’re way in and out of the myriad of Doug Martsch-style guitar swirls, synth lines, and syncopated drums. A full length album is due out in September 2023 on Spirit Goth Records.
“I had pretty much quit music around 2014 and went back to school. I got an assignment in a sound design class to write and record a song in a week and that ended up being an early version of ‘i never mean what i say.’ A few days later I wrote ‘pose’ so I thought maybe I wasn’t done writing music after all, we just didn’t get around to recording until 7 years later,” says Bohrnstedt.
