Featuring five musicians who grew up in El Paso, Lubbock and Amarillo, the West Texas Exiles draw upon the wide-open western reaches of the Lone Star State with a wide-ranging, Americana-centered sound. Rising from the embers of the Dirty River Boys, which Marco Gutierrez co-founded in 2009, the Austin band features a… Featuring five musicians who grew up in El Paso, Lubbock and Amarillo, the West Texas Exiles draw upon the wide-open western reaches of the Lone Star State with a wide-ranging, Americana-centered sound. Rising from the embers of the Dirty River Boys, which Marco Gutierrez co-founded in 2009, the Austin band features a triple-threat of songwriters in Gutierrez, Daniel Davis and Colin Gilmore (son of legendary Texas troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore), plus seasoned bassist/producer Eric Harrison and latter-day Dirty River Boys drummer Trinidad Leal. The Exiles' 2023 debut EP paved the way for their first full-length album, 8000 Days. Since September of 2025 release the album has spent weeks climbing the Americana radio charts and drawing critical praise. The recordings build upon the live chops the group has honed through a weekly residency at Austin’s legendary Continental Club plus gigs at key local events such as SXSW and Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion, as well as high-profile touring appearances at Nashville’s Americanafest, Braun Brothers Reunion and San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.
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