In 2021, Treaty Oak Revival broke onto the music scene with their debut studio album, No Vacancy. The album was the epitome of 21st-century country-rock, proudly Texan, and branded them as such. These are still part of Treaty Oak Revival’s likeness and sound, but they have recently stepped away from what was seemingly expected. Like all great artists, Treaty Oak Revival is not remaining stagnant.
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Hailing from Odessa, Texas, TOR is comprised of lead singer Sam Canty, guitarists Lance Vanley and Jeremiah Vanley, bassist Andrew Carey, and drummer Cody Holloway. Founded in 2019, TOR has moved forward in their career by exploring different musical avenues with their recent single, “Bad State Of Mind,” and acoustic album, The Talco Tapes.
Something to Prove—Why Treaty Oak Revival Wanted to Dish Out a New Sound
In any artistic project, it is impossible and unfair to reduce an artist’s motivation to one particular reason. The same goes for Treaty Oak Revival and their projects “Bad State Of Mind” and The Talco Tapes. However, among the many reasons to create these works, it seems one of the larger ones among the members was that they wanted to show people something new.
Released in February of 2025, TOR’s “Bad State Of Mind” fiercely takes one back to the 2000s with the intro and seamlessly transitions back to the present day in the verse. It is a culmination of several rock genres, which was their intent, as they “wanted to lean more into the rock side of stuff, instrumentally,” said Sam Canty.
While the music marks some new movement for Treaty Oak Revival, the lyrics still articulate the honest storytelling associated with the group, as Canty shared, “My lyrics kind of speak for themselves.” Regardless, Canty recalled that he wrote the song in his son’s nursery roughly two weeks after his birth. A recovering alcoholic, Canty, wrote the song about the “throes of entering into parenthood” and how “those thoughts in the back of your mind” led to “Bad State Of Mind.”
The Same Songs With a New Sound…
Released in May of 2025, TOR wanted to create The Talco Tapes, an acoustic album of some of their most popular songs, not just for themselves, but for the fans. Though at the same time, the album also helped them achieve one of their many motivations. Which, according to guitarist Jeremiah Vanley, was “to show everybody that we’re not just a rock band.”
Canty extrapolated on that notion, as he divulged, “I feel like it’s easy to sit there, for people to sit there and call us like just a bunch of rednecks banging around on guitars making loud rock country music.” “But we wanted to show people, that you know, these guys are super talented, and we can really do whatever we set our minds to,” added the lead singer.
The album features TOR staples such as “Boomtown”, “Fishnets”, “Irish Goodbye”, and even a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Name”. Who were incredibly grateful that they didn’t cover “Iris,” as Lance Vanley humorously stated, “Then the [Goo Goo Dolls] found out we were doing ‘Name’ instead of ‘Iris’, and they were like, ‘Thank you for not doing ‘Iris’.’” Regardless, all of these familiar tracks are reimagined with fresh acoustic arrangements and new perspectives. Which they enjoyed doing, as Canty and the group wanted to put several songs “in a different light to maybe make people understand it better.”
Well, they seemingly accomplished just that, though, “it was, for sure, a challenge,” added Canty.
It’s Full Steam Ahead for Treaty Oak Revival
As of now, Treaty Oak Revival has a new record coming out. The band’s third LP does not yet have a name or a release date. Though, more importantly, the band is excited about its impending release, as Canty believes “it really further shows how diverse we can be.”
Other than that, TOR’s plans for the future are uncertain, and the five bandmates are playing it by ear and running with any opportunity they find enticing. Canty concluded, “We don’t really know what comes after that,” and “We just kind of wait until the next thing comes, you know, and then we run, take it, and run with it”.
Both projects are on streaming platforms everywhere now. Also, if you want the chance to see Treaty Oak Revival live, make sure to check out their tour dates here.
Treaty Oak Revival – Photo Credit_ Paige Williams
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