, the group took the stage in front of around 2,000 fans at JJ’s Live in Fayetteville, Arkansas. At one point that night, they started playing “See You in Court,” an indignant track that makes divorce sound like trench warfare. The song’s opening line drops the listener into the middle of the melee: “Boy, you done f–ked up now/ That’s what she said to me.
“People want to see the Texas country band in Texas, but not many people are like, ‘Oh, I want to go check out this rock show,'” Canty explains.
New bandmates opened up new musical possibilities, leading Canty to pen “Ode to Bourbon,” a guitar-lathered dirge, and “No Vacancy,” a lonesome, spindly romp. He considers this pair of tracks “the two where we started getting into our style.”, Treaty Oak Revival crisscrossed West Texas, playing for steadily growing crowds. When Andrew McWilliams, founder of Evergreen Artist Group, became their booking agent, “that’s when it really started to take off,” according to Canty.
When backed against a wall, though, Canty’s characters are more likely to throw jabs than roll over. Sometimes the target is an ex. “Have a Nice Day” has a polite title, but that line follows a kiss-off: “I hope that swinging door hits you on the way.” The narrators’ disgust is frequently directed inwards as well; one song is simply titled “I’m the Worst.