Review: Ugly Valley Boys and their Refreshing Country Grit

One can’t be too sure where to find good music. Most of the time, some of the gemstones could be found just right underneath the surface, waiting for the opportune moment to come out.

In the depths of the underground country scene of Salt Lake City, Ryan Eastlyn and Braxton Brandenburg are making these gemstones. They are collectively known as the Ugly Valley Boys.

Ugly Valley Boys’ Style

The Ugly Valley Boys comes out as a breath of fresh air in this saturated time for music. Coming out with honest grit and stripped down songs, they truly represent what it means to be country.

Their repertoire shows versatility and an uncanny ability to pen music that speaks to people across any kind of borders that you could think of. The band offers you a different kind of vibe from all the music that’s played on the radio. It’s gritty, honest, and it makes you feel like you’re transported to a bar with a whiskey in hand. Their music is stripped to the bone, forcing you to listen to the lyrics and melody – and you should listen to them.

The band’s style can be drawn to having a Johnny Cash moment in the present time. Lead singer Eastlyn isn’t shy to show off the low wholeness of his voice that adds to the overall grit of their vibe. While Brandenburg’s skills on the upright bass aren’t to be skimmed either. His cool steady thumping ties the whole show together.

Their Albums

What’s impressive for this band is the reaction that they have received when they released their debut album Double Down. The self-recorded and self-released album became one of the cult favorites, and it was instantly the reason why a lot of people fell in love with them

Check out one of their songs!

The follow-up had been a long time coming with Iron Mine.

Released in 2018, the album concentrates much on the present, instead of skimming fond memories about the past. It feels a little darker, more reflective about what’s about to come. It retains its honest grit though, and I can’t wait to see what this band comes out with.