The members of Austin’s Mesa Inn have been playing music for fifteen years, either with each other or in different bands. It’s rare for musicians to stay together that long, but Mesa Inn likes to play music for the fun of it and also as a nice diversion from real life. When he’s not singing and providing expressive guitar lines for Mesa Inn, frontman Bradford Hardie teaches middle-school science. Mesa Inn’s calm, sparse country-rock seems like the direct antithesis of herding teenagers into a discussion on photosynthesis.
Earlier this year, Mesa Inn released its self-titled debut and stopped by KUTX’s Studio 1A for a few songs. “Holiday” comes from this live session, and spotlights what the band does exceptionally well. With just four instruments, the group creates intricate webs of melody that nonetheless sound as spare and dry as the desert-influence band name. It’s low-key music, but detailed and rousing nonetheless.
Catch Mesa Inn tonight at Lambert’s.
