alternative country

Alt-country, also known as alternative country, is a music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. It is characterized by its departure from the polished sound of mainstream country music, incorporating influences from genres like rock, folk, blues, and punk. Alt-country artists are often praised for their originality and less commercial approach.12

This genre has roots in earlier movements like country rock, which blended country music with rock elements in the late 1960s and 1970s. The outlaw music movement of the 1970s, led by artists like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, also paved the way by challenging the conventions of the Nashville Sound and mixing country with folk and rock. Contemporary artists continue to draw inspiration from these traditions, with some being labeled as "neo-outlaw" or "neo-traditionalist".3456