Rattlesnake Milk is a four-piece alternative country and cow-punk band that originated in Lubbock, Texas, in 2012, before relocating to Austin. Formed by singer and rhythm guitarist Sean “Lou” Lewis, the band is known for its raw, rebellious sound that blends influences like rockabilly, surf rock, psychedelic country and Southern Gothic. Their music aims to capture the desolate landscape of the Texas Panhandle, a theme that dates back to Lewis’s early inspiration from Dust Bowl migrant songs and vintage radio on his family’s cotton farm.
Coming from the darkest corners of country music – a self-released cassette called Snake Rattle and Roll from way back in 2013 that took the eerie rockabilly of 50s teen idol Ricky Nelson and mixed it with the chaotic cowboy gothic of The Birthday Party, followed by a self-titled full-length album eight years later – but very little else aside.
Originating from the vast and desolate southern plains of Texas, Rattlesnake Milk produces a unique, unruly, and rebellious style of music that defies categorization. Rather than being analyzed and compartmentalized, their music is deeply rooted in the world around them, yet possesses an otherworldly quality when compared to contemporary country music. The band’s origins are shrouded in mystery, much like their musical creations.
Legend has it that they emerged approximately a decade ago in Lubbock, Texas, born out of a handful of home recordings made by singer Lewis while working on a cotton farm for a family friend in the Texas panhandle. Joining forces with Andrew Chavez from La Panza and Psychic Flowers, Corey “Chencho” Alvarez from Veda Moon, and Eric Pawlak, Rattlesnake Milk aimed to capture the expansive, desolate, and driving soundscape of the Texas panhandle while breathing life into those initial demo recordings.
