If you thought country music couldn’t surprise you anymore, think again. Julien Baker and Torres (Mackenzie Scott) are shaking up the genre with their bold, queer-infused take on country. Their collaboration feels like a love letter to the storytelling traditions of country music.
Their debut single, “Sugar in the Tank”, is a shimmering introduction to their vision. With banjo plucks, pedal steel guitar, and harmonies that feel like a warm embrace, Baker and Scott are proving that country music can be nostalgic and revolutionary.
The pair bonded over their shared southern roots and experiences growing up queer in environments steeped in tradition. For them, country music isn’t just about twangy guitars or cowboy hats, it’s about potency and power. “Country music has to be potent; it has to be powerful,” Baker said in a recent interview.
This collaboration has been years in the making. Back in 2016, Julen Baker and MacKenzie Scott made a handshake agreement to create a country record—a promise that has finally come to fruition. Their approach is playful yet intentional, blending indie sensibilities with progressive narratives that challenge the genre’s conventions. Think Brandi Carlile’s “If She Ever Leaves Me” meets Boygenius harmonies, but with an edge that’s uniquely theirs.