Biography

Phill Brush and Stephen Castillo, together known as The Western Express, met via Craigslist in early 2018 and bonded over their shared love of first-rate songwriting and the country hits of the 1980s and ‘90s. While they’re aware of the renewed interest in those eras of country music and the major-label artists leading that surge in popularity with radio-friendly hits, they’re no bandwagon act: Brush spent his youth in Texas Hill Country, while Castillo grew up deep in East Texas. Their debut album, Lunatics, Lovers & Poets, produced by rockabilly star John Evans (Emily Bell, Hayes Carll, Corb Lund), features nine songs written by Castillo and inspired by a wide range of genres and styles, from Country Music Hall of Fame members Dean Dillon and Willie Nelson (whose 1950s radio show is the band’s namesake) to Emily Frantz of the bluegrass duo Watchhouse and ranchera singer Chavela Vargas. The Western Express dedicate their debut album, Lunatics, Lovers & Poets (due out Aug. 5) to Austin Legends James Hand and James White (Founder of the Broken Spoke), and they take inspiration from the West Texas Desert and the Honky Tonks and Dance Halls where they cut their teeth. All photos by Eryn Brooke