In a year that has seen a notable resurgence of 90s alt-rock in the country music scene, Dexter and the Moonrocks have emerged as a standout act. The band first captured attention in March with their single “Freakin’ Out,” which propelled them into the Billboard 200 Top 40 by May. This momentum led to their opening for Turnpike Troubadours and Muscadine Bloodline on a series of arena shows in June. By September, they announced a concert to celebrate their album launch, where all 13,000 tickets sold out within a day.
Drummer Ryan Fox humorously quips, “Pretty good for an industry plant,” never intending to imply they are anything but a genuine band. Post-pandemic, country music has seen a wave of influences from emo to honky-tonk, but the most exhilarating shift currently is a return to the angst-laden vibes of grunge. Bands like Cigarettes at Sunset, Fox N’ Vead, and Winyah are rising quickly, particularly among fans traditionally aligned with country and Americana, signaling a fresh and vibrant trend that blends genres.
Shifting Musical Landscapes
Among these bands, Dexter and the Moonrocks stand out for their audacity and energy. They dropped their debut album, Friends That I Don’t Like, via Severance Records/Big Loud Rock, a project they hadn’t planned to pursue at the year’s start. “It was tongue-in-cheek, like ‘… unless we have a fuckin’ big song,’” says Fox. With “Freakin’ Out,” they discovered that big song they were looking for.
Initially, the band aimed for a year of single releases only. However, the success of “Freakin’ Out” quickly altered their trajectory. Lead guitarist Ryan Anderson reflects on the abrupt change, stating, “We immediately had to scrap that the second ‘Freakin’ Out’ started happening.”
Hailing from Throckmorton, Texas—a small town of just over 700—Dexter and the Moonrocks consists of frontman James Tuffs, who also plays guitar, drummer Ryan Fox, bassist Ty Anderson, and guitarist Ryan Anderson. Their sound fuses grunge, punk, and Texas country, forming a unique blend that appeals to diverse audiences.
Capturing the Audience
The band’s name has sparked curiosity—there’s no “Dexter” in sight, and their “western space grunge” sound hardly suggests moon rocks. Yet, concert promoters are increasingly eager to book them. A significant departure from their humble roots, when the Moonrocks performed on Friday at Cook’s Garage for the album release, they faced a raucous crowd of 13,000 fans alongside BMX races and motocross showcases.
Pits and crowd surfing at their shows are commonplace as Fox notes, “With us, we’re gonna accept all of the weirdos, and we’re just gonna be a big group of idiots, and we’re gonna play rock as hard as we can.” The album, Friends That I Don’t Like, features thirteen tracks including a playful outro titled “Is DeMar DeRozan Dexter?” and collaborations with Avery Anna and Treaty Oak Revival.
“Freakin’ Out” serves as the album’s anthem, with lyrics capturing the anxiety of modern life that resonated on social media and beyond. As the song climbed the charts, Tuffs realized its significance when it hit the Hot 100, saying, “Oh, shit. This song is actually kind of big.”
Future Endeavors
Other notable tracks include the collaboration with Anna, “Why Don’t You Say So,” which was released to great anticipation ahead of the album, and “12 Steps,” featuring Treaty Oak Revival. The process of innovation with their music remains collaborative and organic, with Ryan Anderson noting, “We both told him, ‘This song will not happen without Treaty Oak on it,’ and it couldn’t have been easier.”
Despite their rock-heavy sound, Dexter and the Moonrocks continue to thrive within the Texas country scene, earning admiration from established acts like Treaty Oak Revival and Turnpike Troubadours. Their journey has seen them win over audiences and peers alike, even gaining notoriety for their humorous public attempts to court a Cheez-Its sponsorship.
The band’s upcoming tour features performances across the U.S., including Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and New York’s Webster Hall, alongside their first Australian run as part of the Strummingbird Festival series in mid-October.
“The show has always kind of been what it is, and we saw that it worked at the scale that it has,” Ryan Anderson concludes. “What you hear is what you see on stage. We’ve always wanted to keep it as real and as four dudes on stage playing instruments as it can sound.”
Josh Crutchmer is a journalist and author whose upcoming book, Sonoran Sounds, is set for release in March 2027 via Back Lounge Publishing.
