Outpost Drive: Where British Folk Meets American Country in a Harmonious Journey

Outpost Drive, the dynamic Country/Americana duo of Willow Robinson and Mary Bragg Robinson, is a melting pot of rich stories and diverse experiences. With Willow’s roots in the English countryside and Mary’s heritage from Alabama’s deep South, their music weaves together the essence of British Folk Rock and American Country. Their fateful meeting on Outpost Drive sparked a unique musical journey that resonates with authenticity and heartfelt narratives, blending their distinct backgrounds into a captivating sonic tapestry.

Zach Bryan & Sierra Ferrell - Holy Roller

(Mary Bragg) Holy Roller is one of those songs that stops you in your tracks - I’ve always loved a harmony filled duet and combining these two is a match made in heaven. Sierra Ferrell and Zach Bryan are two very special artists who have emerged recently that I really admire. I feel grateful to be alive at the same time they are coming up & their songwriting styles bring me back to the music my grandparents brought me up on in Alabama. The harmony on ‘Tito’s’ always gets a rewind - love Sierra’s unique harmony choices - I’m always trying to find interesting harmonies when we’re composing our own music so it’s exciting to see what others are getting into. 

(Willow) Zach Bryan is an artist that has helped draw me into the world of country music. I love his lyricism and raw approach to recording, it feels as if he just throws it away most of the time. Accepting the moment for what it is. Great respect for him and for Sierra Ferrell whose work is comparably amazing and inspiring.

Angel from Montgomery - John Prine & Bonnie Raitt 

(Mary Bragg) Angel from Montgomery with John Prine & Bonnie Raitt singing together is just MAGIC to me. Two music legends who I respect deeply in their musicality and storytelling. This is one of the first songs I performed live last year after many years just singing in my bedroom and I have the Street Folks band in Mobile, Alabama to thank for that! A hot St. Patrick’s day showdown at The River Shack singing ‘Angel from Montgomery’ haha doesn’t get better than that.  Every time I hear it, it reminds me how much can change in a year. I feel the influence of this song all over our EP - Bonnie & John will always inspire me in my own songwriting. The idea of creating a character and becoming them for 3-4 minutes is really cool to me. They’re both brilliant.

(Willow) A true classic that I love hearing everyone down in Alabama jamming to. It seems to fill up the room with love. That is the sign of great music. Transcendental.

The Rolling Stones - Love In Vain 

(Willow) This is one of the first songs that introduced me to a folk style of songwriting. Being a classic rock fan from an early age I needed a band like The Rolling Stones to provide the crossover. It’s this really beautiful lilting heartbreak tune, written eons ago by old blues legend Robert Johnson about someone’s lover leaving them standing on a train platform. There’s an amazing live version where Mick Taylor plays this slide guitar solo that always gave me shivers. Feeling like the perfect blend of rock, folk and country. Mick Taylor has definitely had a profound influence on my guitar playing in general…he’s a master of bluesy, smooth tones. You can hear slide guitar parts that echo this song on both Small Town Living and Honeymoon. The Rolling Stones will always be one of my greatest influences, they combine great musicality with that fiery attitude and poetic lyricism. Setting the standard from which I measure pretty much every other artist. 

(Mary Bragg) Hard to describe how profound the impact The Stones have made on us as musicians. They set a high bar. Love in Vain is a perfect song and they do such a great job with it. 

Hozier - Cherry Wine

(Willow) Cherry Wine always felt like a perfect song. I am in awe of the acoustic guitar parts and subtle lyricism. ‘Love is rare and sweet as cherry wine’…doesn’t get much better than that. Hozier is another artist who cares about lyrical poetry, live instruments and epic arrangements. I especially appreciate that he only released a live version of the song, capturing all the ambience and intimacy. In modern times we are increasingly needing to express our humanity, our organic nature…if we are to distinguish ourselves from the coming flood of AI made art and music. So this is something I always look to express in Outpost Drive’s music.

(Mary Bragg) Every time I hear Willow play this song I think it’s an original of his - I love the raw sound and I’m obsessed with the lyricism. Cherry Wine is one of my favorite covers Willow does & it really makes you want to grab a notebook & write. Hats off to Hozier! 

Noah Kahan - Northern Attitude

(Willow) Noah Kahan’s album was like a major breath of fresh air. The songwriting is great. I resonate deeply with the lyrics since I come from the northern hemisphere, and fully understand the cliche of people from cold places being reserved, ‘forgive my northern attitude, I was raised in the cold’. But even more than that was the way in which the songs were recorded and produced. It feels like a return to recording methods that are generally left in the past. You can really hear the care taken to capture everything live and with attention to detail. Something you rarely hear in the pop world these days. I also love the rockier side to his music. It felt like an invitation to open up to that side of things in Outpost Drive’s music. 

(Mary Bragg) Mannnnn oh man do we jam out to this album - there is not one skippable song on Stick Season. Noah deserves every ounce of success he is getting. We are big fans & I know we’ll continue to be inspired by his detail-oriented storytelling.