Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Hamilton.
Hi Riley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Austin, TX and have spent most of my life in south Austin. I’m a proud product of Austin public schools. After some time away in the DFW area and Arizona, I’m settled back in Austin with my wife, Hanna. I have played in a band in town called Horsetail since spring 2024 along with Christian Haddad, Jake Morgan, Henry Smith, and Benton Graves.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not necessarily been smooth. I have learned lessons about personal loss and the longevity of grief at a younger age than a lot of my peers, and am still processing the death of my mom. Through the first years of grief, and feeling unwound and ungrounded, I have been fortunate to play in a band with friends who have made space for the unique catharsis that only comes through creation.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The music we play in Horsetail comes from a wide variety of influences. Jake, being from Appalachia, brings a background in Appalachian folk music and hardcore and emo music; Henry, being from Chicago, brings a lifelong obsession with Wilco as well as a personal fascination with classic country and rock; Christian, also from Austin, brings years of experience playing in indie-rock and country bands between Austin and Los Angeles, as well as an affinity for those genres; Benton, from Houston, is a classically trained violinist who lends his keen ear to every song, whether it be Sufjan Stevens or Shostakovich. I carry a lifelong affinity for outlaw country, punk, and folk music. Our shared influences probably overlap somewhere in the “alternative country” range, but we are happy simply saying we are a country band, even if listeners might disagree. We recorded our debut album, OIL RIG, last spring and are preparing to release it early in 2027.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Our perception might be skewed based on our experience, but many of our peers are working to strengthen the foundation of independent music in Austin. This seems to be a microcosm of a larger movement happening amongst musicians (and probably artists more generally). In our internet era, releasing and engaging with music is (theoretically) easier than ever. This creates opportunities for artists to promote themselves and release their music as they see fit without the oversight or supervision from a record label, or working with an indie label intended to support the intended vision of the artist. From what we can tell, the DIY scene is only becoming stronger as time goes on. In the next 5-10 years, that trend will continue – more independent artists pushing their art forward, and inspiring others to do the same. Ideally, this will also lead to increased collaboration between artists of different disciplines. Musicians working with videographers, photographers, painters, sculptors, dancers, you name it. We are thrilled to be a part of this trend, and hope to play a role in deepening it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyhorsetail/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HorsetailbandTX
- Other: https://horsetail8.bandcamp.com/album/four-horses-ep
