If you take psychedelic music and cross it with more traditional folk, Americana, country, and western songs, you might get what the music industry likes to call cosmic country. While it's not the most popular genre by any means, cosmic country has an audience, brand, and history all of its own that's certainly worth studying if you're a passionate musician or avid music lover.
Below, we'll break down the ins and outs of this unique share and share a couple of cosmic country classics so that you can hear the genre's magic. From Michael Martin Murphey to Kacey Musgraves, this special subgenre has inspired plenty of more traditional artists to expand the vision of their art.
What Exactly is Cosmic Country?
Cosmic country is loosely defined by taking the basis of country music and merging it with psychedelic and more experimental soundscapes sourced from jazz, rock, R&B, and Americana genres. Cosmic country artists may utilize long delays and reverbs to create a feeling of space, and unique sound design with flangers to create a sense of sonic wonder and mystery.
The History of Cosmic Country
The origins of cosmic country can most likely be traced back to Gram Parsons of the Flying Burrito Brothers who took elements of country and blended it with rhythm and blues, progressive rock, soul, and jazz elements in the 1960s. Cosmic country takes the traditional basis of Americana and folk music and fuses it with more exploratory elements, as shown in One Hundred Years From Now by The Byrds:
While this may not seem very revolutionary today, Gram built up the seeds for alt and modern country as we know it by experimenting with these less common sonic elements, as echoed in some of the more current music showcased below. This paved the groundwork for bands like The Grateful Dead, Phish, and Yo La Tengo to thrive in their respective heyday.
Examples of Cosmic Country
Now that you know the history of cosmic country, it might be best to listen to some more modern examples to provide you with more context! You can use editorial playlists like Spotify's Cosmic Country or select bits of Neon Cowgirl , but here are a couple of cosmic country legends that may stand out from the page:
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves is no stranger to blending classic country songs with pop and more alternative-leaning sounds. Perhaps the spacey feel is best encapsulated in her song Oh What a World:
Molly Tuttle
Singer songwriter Molly Tuttle fuses folk, bluegrass, and western sensibilities with more psychedelic elements, especially on her album .. . but i'd rather be with you . Hear her voice in full cosmic country in covers like Standing on the Moon :
Orville Peck
Orville Peck takes country music and flips it on its head, bringing in ambience and cinematic elements to his country music. You can hear it in full force in his contribution on Unchained Melody :
Daniel Donato
Daniel Donato has co-opted the full sound of cosmic country, going so far to name an album after the subgenre. It stands to reason that his most popular song Fire on the Mountain holds closely to these genre-fluid sensibilities bringing in funk and R&B elements:
Odetta Hartman
Up-and-commer Odetta Hartman, brings together several sounds for a feel that can be described none other than cosmic country. In songs like Dreamcatchers , hear the echoing reverbs, psychedelic sounds all played in contrast against a bluegrass beat.
The Future of Cosmic Country
As distinct genres become increasingly obsolete, you can expect to hear more cosmic country across Nashville, San Antonio, Austin, and all across America! The moment and movement is only expected to grow, and there are plenty of tools you can incorporate into your process to build more dreamlike sounds.
On top of traditional instruments like guitar, banjo, lap steel, and fiddle, feel free to experiment with wah or delay guitar pedals, to put your sounds in another space. Sound-design plugins and virtual instruments make it easy for you to transform your music into cosmic country by adding a few otherworldly elements to a classic country mix.
Cosmic Country FAQ
Cosmic country music puts together classic country form with psychedelic sonic elements, creating a truly unique sonic experience. Start building your own cosmic country music using these commonly asked questions.
What is the cosmic country genre?
Cosmic country is a hybrid genre, most often defined as a mixture of country, western, R&B, soul, folk, and psychedelic music. Daniel Donato's cosmic country references bands as diverse as The Grateful Dead, and Phish, within a Western context. The cosmic country artist is a space cowboy.
Who are the members of cosmic country?
Some of the most well-known players within the current and past cosmic country genre include The Don Kelley Band, Daniela Donato, and Gram Parsons. More crossover pop acts may include artists like Kacey Musgraves and Orville Peck.
Who is the cosmic country singer?
Daniel Donato's cosmic country music helps define the subgenre itself. He serves as a singer and guitarist in his band, which play to dedicated fans within the fanbase dubbed the "cosmic country clubs".
In our modern age, we continue to see the development of unique subgenres across all types of music, and country music is no exception. Cosmic country innovates across past themes and genre blends shared across the history of music, creating a unique sound that's truly out of this world! Hopefully, this guide makes it easier for you to understand this mysterious genre!
