October 15, 2024 by Elias Prodger (‘26)
MJ Lenderman and Why Alt Country is Producing Modern Indie’s Best Songwriters
Walking into an MJ Lenderman show, it’s almost guaranteed you will see two things. Flannel shirts and 70% of the audience wearing various shades of blue jeans. For a traditionally insular genre like Country where plenty of people will do their best to gatekeep you from being “real country”, there’s this certain acceptance to MJ Lenderman’s fans.
MJ Lenderman recently became one of the most sought-after songwriters in indie circles following the release of his new solo album “Manning Fireworks.” The records heavily indebted to the indie rock acts of 90s like Pavement, but with the addition of pedal steel guitars and telecasters to add that country flair to its songs. Lenderman has become the face of Alt-Country, the faction of indie music that takes the rough edge of indie rock and fuses it with southern and country aesthetics into his songs. In modern times, the sound has exploded in popularity and has led to some of the most instantly charismatic and hooky indie rock of the past decade.
Lenderman harkens back to poetry of 90s alternative country greats like Jason Molina and Jeff Tweedy. His clear love of Neil Young and Dinosaur Jr definitely evokes nostalgia of 90s sleaze, but it never feels stale. Tracks like “She’s Leaving You” and “Wristwatch” don’t try to reinvent the wheel but look to capitalize on highly sought after 90s nostalgia. Indie music loves to look back at the 90’s these days, a sort of fetishized golden age for indie rock. Sometimes this forced, sometimes hackneyed nostalgia doesn’t feel organic and feels like a forced copy, but MJ never fails to keep me engaged.
The difference between a forced throwback and a genuine one at the end of the day comes down to songwriting. No matter the sound, it’s not going to be an enjoyable experience without a batch of well-crafted compositions. That’s what MJ is able to deliver in Spades and what this sound at the moment has mastered. Alt. Country to me, is a genre concerned with writing the best songs in the indie scene. Stripping the instrumentation down to acoustic guitars with textures added allows for the song itself to shine through. Projects like Waxahatche and Hurray for Riff Raff are able to write engaging memorable songs with lyrics that connect.
In the nicest way possible, a lot of these songs sound like midlife crisis albums. MJ’s album frequently invokes the image of a self-described loser, with self-deprecating humor and a longing for someone who will understand his witty one liners about everything from Eric Clapton to the Pope. There’s this brutal honesty and vulnerability that MJ and his fellow Alt. Country artists have mastered, connecting to their audience. The best of them don’t stick to the cliches of other artists, they share in the tradition of the greatest folk and country artists and maintain a sense of relatability.
In a time of social media, a turbulent political climate, and any number of other challenges that modern life throws at us, Alt. country feels like a stable comforting sound. These songwriters will reach their arms out to you and tell you their story in the most brutally honest way possible and in the most enjoyable place possible.
ALT COUNTRY STARTER PACK
Mj Lenderman- Manning Fireworks
Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Big Thief- Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
The Magnolia Electric Company- Songs: Ohia
Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, Its Morning
Wednesday- Rat Saw God
Neil Young- Rust Never Sleeps
Silver Jews- American Water
Waxahatche- Tigers Blood
Hurray For Riff Raff- The Past Is Still Alive