The Droptines Announce New Album, Major Label Debut “Drought Flower”
The Droptines have tapped into some original alt-country chemistry that’s been sorely missing in the roots music diet, and have spent the last couple of years since releasing their debut self-titled album dialing it in even further. Nobody is really doing what The Droptines do: heavy songwriting that stirs emotions, underpinned by involved melodies.
Get ready to polish up your stories about how you knew about The Droptines before anyone else, when you could still see them in intimate clubs, met the bass player out back or at the merch table, and before all these pansy bandwagoners started prancing around in Droptines T-shirts ruined the whole experience now that they’ve blown up.
That’s because they’ve signed to Big Loud Texas, and have just announced their major label debut record. Called Drought Flower, it will be released on April 3rd, and was produced by Jacob Sciba and Big Loud Texas poobah Jon Randall, with a couple songs produced by Taylor Tatsch. It’s the band’s second album overall after the 2024 self-titled affair, and the first that will be scratched into vinyl. Drought Flower was recorded at Austin’s legendary Arlyn Studios Austin.
“Our album ‘Drought Flower’ is the culmination of a lot of hard work from the guys and me,” says frontman and primary songwriter Conner Arthur in one of those prepared statements that accompanies an album announcement. “It will be our first big release since being signed to Big Loud Texas and we’re all very excited that this project will be our first pressed into vinyl.”
More important to note, the album will feature a collaboration with Zandi Holup on the opening song “A Town Near You,” and another with Sarah Jarosz on the song “Mawmaw.” All the songs were written by Connor Arthur except for a cover of Mike McClure Band’s “Calling All Cars,” and “Grand Canyon” by The Magnetic Fields.
Drought Flower will include numerous songs already released from the album, namely “Calling All Cars,” “Old Tricks,” “Take Too Much” and “Snowed In,” the were released throughout 2025, along with their latest single, the sensational “Tombstone” released in November (listen below).
Along with Connor Arthur, The Droptines features Dillon Sampson on bass, drummer Johnny Sheets, guitarist Donny Parkinson, and steel guitar player Tony Rincon.
Drought Flower is now available for pre-add, as well as vinyl pre-order.
TRACK LIST:
1. A Town Near You feat. Zandi Holup (Connor Arthur)
2. Tombstone (Connor Arthur)
3. Old Tricks (Connor Arthur) *
4. Drought Flower (Connor Arthur)
5. Mamaw feat. Sarah Jarosz (Connor Arthur)
6. Snowed In (Connor Arthur) *
7. What Ate My Friend (Connor Arthur)
8. Whatever It Is (Connor Arthur)
9. Take Too Much (Connor Arthur)
10. Calling All Cars (Mike McClure, Adam Odor)
11. Grand Canyon (Stephin Merritt)
* Produced by Taylor Tatsch
February 28, 2026 @ 8:38 am
The article reminded me of something I’ve been wondering for the last few days.
How do you guys define alt-country these days?
This band sounds “alt” to me , mostly as a call back to earlier alt-country bands.
What does that name mean now though?
February 28, 2026 @ 8:45 am
To me, Americana these days is a more rootsy sound. There’s also a lot of soul and R&B in Americana. Alt-country hearkens back to more of the rock edge to country like we originally heard from Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, The Old ’97s, Neko Case, Bloodshot Records and Yep Roc. That’s what I’m hearing in The Droptines. It’s rock music, but there’s a steel guitar in the band, and the songwriting is more out front.
February 28, 2026 @ 9:25 am
Yeah that’s basically my take on it as well. Curious what other people think here.
February 28, 2026 @ 10:47 am
Trying to put Ryan Adams in any bucket (other than cantankerous) is quite the feat… but I am looking forward to getting to know the droptines!
March 1, 2026 @ 2:15 pm
Nailed it. I’m loving The Droptines. Remind me of DBT a bit.
February 28, 2026 @ 2:59 pm
To me the quintessential Alt-Country band is Old 97s or The Bottle Rockets. So if it reminds me of that, and The Droptines do, it’s alt-country.
February 28, 2026 @ 3:30 pm
Yeah
What are the other bands that are new this decade who are doing that sound? Not old bands with new albums but stuff that has shown up that has that much late 90’s/early 2000’s rock or whatever in it?
February 28, 2026 @ 3:40 pm
Well, using Saving Country Music’s Dewey Decimal System and searching for Alt-Country category #564 …
https://savingcountrymusic.com/?s=%23564
some recent albums/artists that fit the alt-country definition would be Low Gap’s “Geneva,” Wednesday’s “Bleeds,” The Lowdown Drifters “In Time,” and Jeff Crosby.
American Aquarium is a great example of alt-country, though they’re not exactly new, but they’re newer than the original alt-country bands.
February 28, 2026 @ 3:57 pm
Hey listening to American Aquarium right now!
Could you consider Son Volt and Drving N Cryin alt country? Thats where my head goes when I think although country
February 28, 2026 @ 4:12 pm
Son Volt is definitely essential alt-country. Drivin’ N Cryin’ and Kevn Kinney were always more of a rock band that was in the alt-country scene, but they have some alt-country songs for sure.
February 28, 2026 @ 5:47 pm
ha I was just listening to Low Gap and Lowdown Drifters for the first time in the past few days. That’s probably why this was on my mind.
February 28, 2026 @ 5:50 pm
I went down a rabbit hole of Kenny Feidler and Kellen Smith this past week too, and for some reason that stuff feels different than this era of alt-country. They both have a rock influence on their later songs/albums but it feels more related to what Cole Chaney did than the Son Volt etc No Depression era of alt-country to me for some reason.
March 2, 2026 @ 11:39 am
Uncle Tupelo’s No Depression is the definition of alt-country. Yesterday, today, forever. No changing it.
I think of it as country music with strong rock/punk influences featuring great songwriting and bad singers lol.
Americana is more soft, gentle, and artsy, in my opinion. And the singing talent matters.
February 28, 2026 @ 9:00 am
This is absolutely fantastic news! One of my absolute favorite bands! And collabs with Zandi Holup and Sarah Jarosz, both outstanding, almost sound too good to be true! I’m very excited about the album.
February 28, 2026 @ 9:34 am
…if the rest is living up to the promise of “tombstone”, this album may kick up some dust in the americana realm. their self-titled 2024 release was pretty good already, if they can up their good game another notch or perhaps even two, we’d be in for a treat most likely.
February 28, 2026 @ 10:44 am
Wow, I’m liking this. This has the sound of the stuff I was listening to in the late ’90s early oughts.
February 28, 2026 @ 11:26 am
Connor is one of the best songwriters in the game right now, and I couldn’t be more stoked to see these fellas in Omaha in April. Cheers.
February 28, 2026 @ 3:57 pm
Didn’t realize how many Alt bands Big Loud has been snatching up lately.
Was on their website the other day looking into the new Jake Ethridge project that I somehow missed, and noticed that Droptines, Moonrocks, and Edgehill were also on the label.
Interested to see how it works out.
February 28, 2026 @ 4:07 pm
It would be helpful to have the release date in the article. It’s easy enough to look up but might as well include in the article about a new album release.
February 28, 2026 @ 4:10 pm
Release is April 3rd. It’s in the 3rd paragraph.
February 28, 2026 @ 4:55 pm
That song isnt bad. I would consider it more rock than country. Nor all rock is screeching guitars, heavy drums, or ballads. But i def see the country influence. Ill check out more.
February 28, 2026 @ 6:33 pm
Have seen them at least a dozen times in the lasts couple of years including last night in the stockyards. They just keep getting better and while much more rock than country the steel guitar does show up in a majority of the songs. One of my must see bands along with Siverada. Glad to be in the DFW area where I get multiple shows a year from both of these bands.
February 28, 2026 @ 9:57 pm
You gotta be a deer hunter to know what a “droptine” is.
March 1, 2026 @ 2:28 am
I like the sound of the single. They sound good. They remind me a fair bit of of American Aquarium. I look forward to giving them a listen.
March 1, 2026 @ 8:27 am
Alt-country = barf
March 1, 2026 @ 10:33 am
You telling me that the Faithless Street Whiskeytown album is barf? I can’t imagine any real country fan would think so, but different strokes I guess.
March 1, 2026 @ 6:59 pm
I saw the Droptines last year at Hogs for the Cause. For the first twenty + minutes I wondered what the hype was about, but my midset I began changing my mind, and came to enjoy the rest of the show. I think they played a 75-minute set. If given a chance, I’d see them again.
March 1, 2026 @ 7:19 pm
I’m definitely gonna be one of the losers saying I was ahead of the curve on this band. Listened to their first album after you reviewed it on this site, and became a quick fan. Had a chance to see them here in Florida at a small venue but couldn’t go because my wife is super pregnant, have a feeling those venues might not be around for them too much longer.
March 2, 2026 @ 10:32 am
Yes yes yes yes.
“Tombstone” is such a great song and I’m looking forward to the full album.
March 3, 2026 @ 6:35 pm
I am looking forward to hearing this. But from a personal standpoint, I am disappointed that there appears to be no CD release.