The High Plains Drifters: Collective
The High Plains Drifters were sired after a night of too much booze and too little food at a Tex-Mex spot in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea. Fast forward a few years and they boast one fan-favorite album—2019’s High Plains Drifters—a bunch of packed shows (back when it was legal pre-Pandemic), and the critical acclaim of Harper’s Bazaar, Untitled Magazine, Glide Magazine, Anti Music, and more. Their second LP (due this year) is produced by Greg Cohen (Nile Rogers, Robin Thicke). It perfects the genre-bending sound that made their debut a buzzing sensation.
The first two singles from this collective of seasoned gunslingers–“Since You’ve Been Gone” and “Nuclear Winter”–rekindle the spark of eighties new wave but fused with a twist of seventies soft rock. The group is led by frontman Larry Studnicky [lead vocals, lyricist] and includes John Macom [rhythm/electric guitars, lead/backup vocals], Mike DoCampo [rhythm/electric guitars, backup vocals], Kyle Cassel [drums, backup vocals], Charles Czarnecki [keys, accordion, backup vocals], and Dave Richards [bass, backup vocals]. Their new release ups the ante with a bevy of undeniably catchy anthems about love and loss that fall somewhere between The Eagles and New Order, with more surprises to come.