Dexter and the Moonrocks bring their rare Western grunge music to the Knit

Dexter and the Moonrocks have had an unorthodox rise to alt-country and rock fame, from their Texas beginnings to the release of their new EP.

Just a few years ago, Ryan Fox was living day by day as a youth baseball coach after a stint on Abilene Christian University’s team. Fox, in bare honesty, “walked out; I sucked.”

Amid the transition from being a Division 1 baseball player to coaching, Fox had nothing but spare time on his hands. He decided to go back to his roots as a church drummer, and found the band of bassist Ty Anderson, his cousin and guitarist Ryan Anderson and lead singer/guitarist James Tuffs on BandMix, a site Fox describes as “Tinder for musicians.”

As Fox joined in late 2021, the group had been playing pure country music – “all that’s allowed in the Texas scene” – but were looking to make a change. The group, like many, spent its youth listening to the rock and grunge that their parents loved, such as that of Creed and Nirvana.

“We have the story-telling elements,” Fox said. “Really, we have country lyrics, rock and roll guitar tones, and punk drums – because I have no finesse whatsoever in my drumming technique, it’s all gas, no breaks.”

With this, the band and their music have a wide array of influences. On the rock and punk side, the Foo Fighters, Deftones, Blink-182 and Nirvana have helped shape the band’s guitar heavy sound, but “more authentic” country artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Charles Wesley Godwin and the Turnpike Troubadours also serve as guides.

The combination has since done dividends for Dexter and the Moonrocks. Singles like “Couch,” “SLG (Demo),” and their cover of Colter Wall’s “Kate McCannon” drew in big numbers early on. More recently, tracks like “She Likes Girls” and “Sad In Carolina” have only continued to grow the band’s reach. Some would consider this “Western grunge” to be a left-field choice, but Fox would be inclined to disagree.

“I think there’s this resurgence of people who grew up in the 2000s and listened to what their parents listened to … and now they’ve transitioned in their own lives and they love country,” Fox said. “But that music from the 2000s makes them feel nostalgic … So we’re a mix of the two, and that’s what I think makes people feel like they’re kids again, but also feels brand new like the stuff they’re currently listening to.”

A fair portion of the band’s success can be attributed to a certain social media marketing style – the same style that has garnered Dexter and the Moonrocks hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram (as well as millions of “likes” and views).

To put it simply, the band is extremely willing to be unprofessional. The members are themselves, try to be comical and stay in-tune with their fans and a wider internet audience.

“On social media, it’s really hard to get behind four people, but when you get behind one face like a Noah Kahan or Chappell Roan, it’s easier to be like, ‘Oh, I like them, and because I like them I am now in a bigger disposition to like their music,’ ” Fox said of bands rarely going viral online. “So if we could get people to pay attention, just to look, and think, ‘These guys are funny, they’re likable, I understand their story, I get what they’re saying, it’s relatable’ – I knew the music was good enough to get people hooked.”

Dexter and the Moonrock’s latest collection of music – an EP titled “Western Space Grunge” – was released Monday.

Initially, “Western Space Grunge” was supposed to be an album, but with such an extensive touring schedule and some inexperience in the studio, the band decided to split the songs up into two EPs.

While recording the new EP, “we may have recorded one extra. Maybe you guys are getting a single maybe two months after Western Space Grunge – allegedly …”

The band will be back in the studio in August to record the next and “feed the beast,” as Fox put it.

“As our label has pointed out,” Fox said, “by splitting it up into two EPs it’s more content to promote and put on the feed so we can continue to grow.”

Dexter and the Moonrocks are showing no signs of slowing down, with upcoming major festival performances (such as Austin City Limits) and more music on the way. They will also be playing the Knitting Factory on Sunday, July 28, as they conclude their summer run.

“Go check us out, share it with all your friends, pretty, pretty please, because we want to be successful and buy our girlfriends and wives pretty things!” Fox said .