The Third Eye

Nashville’s Teddy and The Rough Riders stand out in a crowded scene of cosmic country rockers. They’re Nashville natives, and they play catchy Seventies-inspired country rock in the Cosmic American tradition, with Waylon- and Willie-style heartbreak numbers, soaring guitars and pedal-steel rockers, and electric Louvin Brothers-style harmonies.

This hybrid of classic country songwriting and psychedelia informs the band, making them a perfect fit for The Third Eye’s tastes. After numerous DIY releases, the great Margo Price produced their self-titled record in 2022. 

Teddy and The Rough Riders are returning with a new LP, Down Home, due for release on October 11th via Appalachia Record Co (which we reviewed here). Down Home is a raucous, electrifying double-down on all the elements that make this band great.

The Third Eye has corresponded with the group via email, and Ryan Jennings was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.

Check out the interview with Ryan from Teddy and The Rough Riders below, where he tells us about their upcoming record, the tongue-and-cheek presidential inspiration behind their band name, what it’s been like touring Europe, and much more.

Interview with Teddy and The Rough Riders

Third Eye: Thanks so much for doing this interview! I’ve been listening to Down Home and your previous music, and it’s some of my favorite new stuff this year. Can you tell us about yourselves and your music?

Ryan Jennings: Thanks for having us! Teddy is Jack Quiggins and Ryan Jennings, childhood friends from Nashville and our country rock project! We love bluegrass harmonies, pedal steel, and rocking out, and we try to combine all of that! We have also been touring as Emily Nenni’s backing band for five years or so.

Third Eye: Can you tell us about your new album, Down Home? What did you try to accomplish on this record, and how does it differ from your previous work?

Ryan: Down Home was our next logical step in recording; I think it’s the best thing we’ve done. More defined songs and styles, maybe. We call it downhome because it was demoed and completed in Jack’s basement during COVID-19. So it’s been in the works for a bit, but really proud to have it coming out. I think there are some more 3D fuzz tones and riffs we put a lot of work into. And a more complete view of the Teddy sound. 

Some bluegrass, some hard riff rock, some band style orchestrated. It came together pretty easily, and that’s a good sign. Co-produced, engineered, and mixed by our good friend Jake Davis. Erin Rae and Emily Nenni on bgvs. Sean Thompson is on some lead guitar layers. Mike Daly on Pedal Steel (he’s Hank Williams Jr.’s band leader and steel player).

Third Eye: You guys are Nashville natives, so you’ve likely seen some big changes in the city over the years. What was it like growing up in “Old Nashville,” and how is the city different today?

Ryan: Growing up, we were a part of the more punk and garage scene in Nashville. Jeff The Brotherhood was my first house show when I was 14/15. They were friendly and encouraging, along with friends starting a label called Nashvilles Dead. 

I played in a psych rock band in high school called The Paperhead and was more a part of the DIY scene. Now we’re a solid part of this new Americana scene and it’s different, more professional and based around songwriting and a bunch of labels of varying size. Haha I’d say the main difference is less outward purposeful freakiness in the music, and way less aggression. So we get to be the aggressive band sometimes these days! We’ve seen venues come and go but these days we have a good list and friends who own them and good booking help.

Third Eye: Listening to your music, I can hear much of that West Coast country-psych sound in the vein of The Byrds, Gram Parsons, etc. Do you think your music has psych influences, or am I way off?

Ryan: Big time. Jack and I are fans of ’60s psych from all over—particularly the British scene like Syd Barrett, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, and the Pretty Things. Basically, we started as record collectors. I was brought up on the Beatles. But we love the West Coast scene, particularly Gene Clark and his solo records. Big Grateful Dead fans and Velvet Underground, too. This kind of music’s melody work, simplicity, and catchiness are unparalleled. So we take a lot from that even though we’re trying to keep it country.

Third Eye: I chuckled when I first discovered your band and saw the band name. Is it a reference to Teddy Roosevelt? I rarely hear his name mentioned these days.

Ryan: Yeah Jack and I came up with the name kind of as a joke. We’re both fans of history and thought it was a perfect 60s-style band name. Teddy is a very interesting guy, and there’s so much to know about him. It’s not that we’re super into politics or agree with everything he did, but you can’t deny he’s an interesting individual!

But yeah I like to write songs about history of all kinds, and the name fits with a kind of chaotic American history vibe. Plus, we can split the lead role between Jack and me by calling it all Teddy!

Third Eye: You’ve got a big touring schedule this year, including some European shows. What’s the craziest thing that ever happened to y’all on tour? Are there any fun stories?

Ryan: We’ve been in Europe for a month and it’s been a long one, mostly boring tour logistic problems and stuff. 

Our bags got lost by American Airlines, and when we got them back three or so days late, they were soaking wet?? And like super stinky. That sucked. Renting vans and gear is expensive over here… a lot to work out. 

Um we’re having fun checking out old castles and classic English cottage towns hidden around the countryside. We went and saw the old Mapledurham watermill that was on the cover of the first Black Sabbath album. Tried to get into Friar Park, George Harrison’s old mansion, but we got denied entry. Thankfully, nothing too crazy is happening; it’s a lot of work over here. Jack’s driving as I type this out. But been doing a long Emily Nenni album tour as her backing band, and got to play a bunch of festivals in Montana and California.

Third Eye: Give us some music recommendations. Who are a few bands or artists you love now that few of us may know about?

Ryan: The Kernal, Sentimental Family Band, Cactus Lee, Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears, Westwood Avenue, Hannah Juanita and Mose Wilson, Chris Acker, Dylan Earl, The Medium, Snooper, Sam Hoffman, Rainsticks, Steel Saddle, Joe Bourdet.

Pre-order Down Home by Teddy and The Rough Riders here.

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