***KUTX Artist of the Month is powered by PNC Bank***
Variety played KUTX’s Free Week Showcase at Stubb’s on Saturday, January 4th.
Listen back to Variety’s My KUTX Guest DJ Session.
by Mary Dougherty
Austin’s got a new band in town, and they’ve hit the ground running so hard, I’m worried their legs might fly off.
Variety is a project created by Rhys Woodruff, a Dallas native better known as the drummer from another Austin favorite, Borzoi.
Variety is a mix of genres and emotion, that you do not know how you ever lived without.
But Woodruff doesn’t just stick to drums. He’s been playing a variety of instruments since childhood—something that has shaped him both musically and personally.
“I like to say I stole my little brother’s drum set because my parents got him a drum set and me a bass, and my dad would play guitar. We’d have little jam sessions.”
Woodruff moved to Austin in 2012 after attending Texas State, eager to continue his musical career. His notable, self-taught drumming skills earned him a spot with Borzoi, along with a few other side projects.
Although he started as their drummer, Woodruff quickly began to write songs, many of which ended up in Borzoi’s discography. But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. His bandmates felt only he could do justice to his songs during live performances. So, though it was rare and not ideal, Woodruff found himself drumming and singing simultaneously.
“And I remember them being like, ‘Well, it’s your songs. You need to sing them.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I’m on drums. That’s gonna be really hard.’ And they’re like, ‘Well, we’re not gonna sing it.’”
To this day, Woodruff is still the drummer for Borzoi. He credits much of his current musicality to his time with the band, especially in creating Variety.
“What I’m trying to get to is, Borzoi formed a lot of my musical upbringing, in a way, yeah.”
Don’t be fooled, though—while the band has had a multitude of releases this year, many of these tracks have been in the works for years. Woodruff is incredibly talented, but not a magician. After the pandemic hit in 2020, he began writing his own music and, in the process, unknowingly developed a new sound that didn’t quite reflect any of his current projects.
“Then when the pandemic hit, it just made that go even longer. And so I think I got to the point of being frustrated that I wasn’t putting my music out in the world. Then I wrote a ton more songs, and they also lyrically were kind of shifting away from Borzoi.”
2024 was a very busy year for Variety. Within the same week of announcing the band, they released their debut single, “Plover,” followed quickly by “The Light” and “Pooling Rain” in February and March. With an April treat, “Valentine” comes quickly behind. While all songs were beyond enjoyable, the notable differences between the four left fans intrigued by the future of Variety’s sound.
After a brief hiatus between their next single, fans were more than ready to hear that Subtropical, would be the first single from their debut album.
Released in November, Subtropical solidified Variety’s place in the Austin music scene. Despite the consistent output, Woodruff never had specific expectations for the album—he simply went with what felt right.
“But it’s pretty rare that I do go and say, ‘I want this vibe.’ It usually stems from something that I like. Oh, that’s something that just sounds cool. Let’s see what comes up. I feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants a lot when I’m writing music. I think that was another reason I wanted to call it Variety, because I have a tendency to write in a lot of different styles. But it’s still me, so it’s always going to sound like that.I didn’t want to be pigeonholed into doing just one thing. I wanted to be able to say, ‘Oh, this record sounds totally different from the last one. Maybe the next one will be entirely different.’ I want the ability to shape-shift.”
I think that was another reason I wanted to call it Variety, because I have a tendency to write in a lot of different styles.
Rhys Woodruff of Variety
This album reflects on the events that have shaped Woodruff, especially those from his earlier life. The project has become a mirror of his experiences in ways he never expected. This theme is especially clear in their 2024 output, with their constant stream of new music—full of symbolism and personal landmarks that make you feel like you are in Woodruff’s head, almost as if you experienced it too.
“I started talking about more personal things, like my dad dying, and how I feel about certain things, using the natural world of Texas to talk about these emotional things. So even though the song ‘Subtropical’ is kind of an alarmist view of the Edwards Plateau drying up over time—when that happens, the rivers will dry up—I use my own experience being there in this beautiful region of Texas, like the Llano River and the Frio River, all these places. I try to use that to talk about a time with someone that I no longer am around.”
From the unique lyricism to the forever-changing musical melody, listeners have definitely resonated with Woodruff’s perspective and storytelling.
Subtropical was ranked #6 on the Austin Chronicle’s best ATX albums of the year, despite being released just 2 months before the end of 2024. Goes to show you don’t need to sit with this music for long to know you like it.
But their success doesn’t stop there. We’ve barely scratched the surface.
Variety played their first-ever show on January 4th, 2024 at Hole in the Wall, and since then, the band has taken the world by storm. With a debut album, multiple singles, a few U.S. tours, and standout performances with notable local acts like Being Dead, Proun, and Exotic Fruitca. Variety’s accomplishments goes to show people love this new sound that has blossomed in this great city.
While we don’t know what 2025 holds for them, one thing is for sure—I’m on the edge of my seat, eager to find out.
What I do know though, is on Variety’s one-year anniversary they will be performing a FREE show at Stubb’s with support from Next Of Kin and Geto Gala. Show your support and celebrate this project’s first birthday by enjoying great music for FREE.
Don’t miss the chance to see their live performance with frontman Rhys Woodruff, and his multi-talented live band Zach Wood, Jordan Emmert, and Nick Stout.
Keep an eye out for a new single from Variety in the new year. Don’t miss it because this is just the beginning.
