Since their first release in 2020, Treaty Oak Revival has quickly become a household name in the minds of modern country music fans. Originating in the Lone Star State, the band has outgrown the state lines of Texas, gaining awareness that reaches further than the red dirt scene alone. With two studio albums under their belt, they are taking advantage of their popularity, releasing two new singles, potentially leading to a third record. Comprised of members Sam Canty (lead singer, acoustic guitar), Lance Vanley (rhythm guitar, background vocals), Jeremiah Vanley (lead guitar), Andrew Carey (bass), and Cody Holloway (drums), Treaty Oak Revival knows what it takes to put on a show. In an interview with staff from Country Central, the group opened up about their journey as a band.
Before lead singer Sam Canty joined the band, Treaty Oak Revival was just a cover band specializing in classic rock, with no original songs of their own. A little while later, Canty arrived, hopping on lead vocals and eventually sharing his own writing with the band, which was heavily influenced by Texas country music. With each band member bringing their own flavor to the sound, they stand out from acts in country. Canty explains that they have always seen themselves as a “rock band with a country accent.”
Speaking on the formation of the band, he bluntly explained, “Yeah, we’re just a bunch of weirdos who like playing rock music too much, and we got lucky, and we all met each other, and now we’re here.”
In the early days, Treaty Oak Revival made good use of their time, playing as many shows as possible, and although the rooms were smaller, they could still pack a small club wall-to-wall with some of the rowdiest fans you’ve ever seen. You may see the live presence on TikTok clips since the beginning, with the on-stage energy directly affecting the crowd. Sam put it this way:
“We like to rock… We want to put on a high-energy show… We like doing crazy stuff on stage and interacting with the crowd, and being a rock band allows you to do that.”
It wasn’t long until Treaty Oak Revival gained a reputation for their on-stage antics, specifically what their bassist Andrew Carey calls “beer-slinging.” Eli, the band’s manager, began to share this story:
“The first time I believe that we ever saw “beer-slinging” was at Blue Light when we blew out the sound system…”
Sam continued, “They were slinging beers pretty much all night, but when I did it, the whole place just went f-ing crazy… Somebody took a video of it, and we posted it online, and ever since then, people at the show, like, wherever we would go, they would just be helicoptering beer over their heads.”
From those early moments, the band’s unique sound, paired with clever writing, has earned the group headlining positions at concerts and festivals. Treaty Oak’s mixture of rock and country has even caught Nashville’s attention, leading to its debut at The Grand Ole Opry, which took place in February 2024. Canty discussed the band’s how the band’s perspective towards the Nashville scene has changed over time:
“I don’t know if, like, I wouldn’t say it doesn’t align with us, but I wouldn’t say it aligns with us either… I think it’s safe to say that, you know, we’ve kind of gotten over that stigma of, you know, f*** Nashville and stuff like that.”
When it comes to writing their music, Treaty Oak Revival stands out from popular country acts because, from start to finish, the songwriting process remains solely within the band members. Sam begins to share their typical routine:
“So, a lot of these songs just start out with lyrics that I’ve written to me playing a melody on an acoustic guitar, and it’s a half-ass melody at that, you know, it’s really not fleshed out. It’s not like a fully fleshed out song when I bring it to the band, but by the time everybody gets their hands on it, it comes out.”
The band’s drummer, Cody Holloway, bounces off of Sam, “he tells us what his vibe for the song is, and then we just all start throwing our ideas in. So once we start putting our heads together, it doesn’t usually take very long. So you’re looking at lyrics on a paper to a full recorded demo in about three or four hours.”
That collaborative writing technique is the very process that created the albums No Vacancy and Have A Nice Day. Although both records have their own distinct sound, they came from a combination of every member’s musical influences.
Lead guitarist Jeremiah Vanley joined in to speak on the evolution of the band: “Sam had a country voice, so, you know, I bought a telecaster and a Fender amp, and we started playing some Texas country music, and then it just kind of evolved from there, you know… I play Les Pauls and Marshalls now.”
It’s safe to say the band’s progression has been a success, keeping fans engaged since their first release. When asked about plans to release more music, the band had just one thing to say:
“It’s coming…”
Catch Treaty Oak Revival on tour, and at the St. Petersburg Country Music Festival this November.
