Mustangs of the West, the trailblazing all-female country quintet, is thrilled to announce the release of their highly anticipated album Down at the Palomino, out today via KZZ Music/Blue Élan Records. Building on the resounding success of their critically acclaimed album Sea of Heartbreak, which Bill Bentley of Americana Highways called “flat-out one of the best by anyone this year,” the group is set to once again dazzle audiences with their soul-stirring sound.
Full of rich harmonies and deep musicianship, Down at the Palomino’s twelve songs of California Country and Americana showcase expert songcraft and the power of five women creating something greater than the sum of their parts.
Listen to ‘Down at the Palomino’
The Mustangs’ story goes back to the late ‘80s/early ‘90s and the L.A. country scene, where they filled the historic Palomino Club with their soul-stirring harmonies and potent songs. After touring the U.S. and Europe three times, the band amicably parted ways in the mid-90s, with each of its members headed off into their own careers as songwriters, session musicians, and solo artists.
Flash forward and the group, now Mustangs of the West, can still knock the wind out of you with their soaring vocals and emotive storytelling – and they now bring to the table years of experience and the mark of finely-honed craftsmanship. The band features three original members, Suzanna Spring (vocals/guitar), Sherry Rayn Barnett (lead guitar/vocals), and Holly Montgomery (bass/vocals), with the addition of Aubrey Richmond (fiddle/vocals), and Suzanne Morissette Cruz (drums/vocals).
The album is a masterclass in collaboration and artistry, with Spring recalling the joy of sharing her songs with the band, taking things that she may have originally heard one way but trusting her bandmates to elevate them to the heights that they reach.
“When you write the song, maybe there’s a way that you envision them – but then they take this whole different direction, coming out much stronger and more extroverted, while the integrity of the songs remains.”
“That’s the beauty of this whole album and this whole process that I really enjoyed.”
The album is co-produced by Blue Élan Records/KZZ Music co-founder Kirk Pasich and Colin Devlin (The Devlins), primarily recorded at Dave’s Room, engineered and mixed by KZZ co-founder Zackary Darling, and mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge.
Bill Bentley of Americana Highways said of the band, “There is a group consciousness that has gelled which brings all the early roots of The Mustangs into the present, and with this lineup they have locked into real greatness. The band shares lead vocal positions that very few modern groups can, and their songwriting skills have moved them into a place where few others can go.”
Down at the Palomino is out October 20, 2023, and available for streaming and purchase on all major music platforms.
