A match made in heaven.
For years, it seemed as if mainstream rock was all but dead. Sure, you had some bands making some waves in the alternative and blues scenes as well as some legacy acts returning to the charts and awards shows. With that being said, however, save for a couple of bands, it felt like the genre was on the decline. Lately, however, none other than Texas has been leading the charge and has produced two of the most popular bands flying out of the alternative rock scene today.
Of course, Treaty Oak Revival has been one of the biggest success stories as of late. Despite them being an amalgamation of country, grunge and alternative rock, they’ve been a fan favorite among country fans. Riding the continued highs of their 2023 breakout album, Have A Nice Day, the West Texas band proved once again why they’re one of the hottest rock-adjacent groups in the ever-growing Texas country/southern rock scene last November with the release of their third studio album, West Texas Degenerate.
Following West Texas Degenerate’s release, Treaty Oak scored their first #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts, marking their first #1 album on any Billboard album chart. Additionally, it also debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart, #3 on Top Country Albums chart, #21 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, and #30 on Top Billboard Canadian Albums, with each previously unreleased song taking over the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
In a similar vein, Dexter and the Moonrocks have been catching a similar amount of fire over the past few years. Self-described as “western space grunge,” the Texas band has all but blown up online with some downright genius marketing and social media presence and a fresh sound that, like Treaty Oak, blends elements of alternative, grunge and hints of country influences in their songwriting.
After catching fire online with tracks like “Ritalin,” “She Likes Girls” and a grungy, live cover of none other than Tyler Childers’ popular unreleased track, “Messed Up Kid,” the West Texas band caught lightning in a bottle back in March upon the release of “Freakin’ Out.” The song has been nothing short of a monster online, snagging a staggering 75 million streams on Spotify alone, along with an impressive 75,000 video uses on TikTok. The virality allowed “Freakin’ Out” to become their first-ever song to chart on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, which shot all the way up to #33 on May 6th.
With so much buzz surrounding the two bands, their shared roots in West Texas and an undeniably similar sound, it felt like a collaboration between the two was inevitable. And after months of begging from fans, the two alternative powerhouses finally pulled the trigger by announcing the release of “12 Steps,” which was released today.
Given the fact that this is a Dexter and the Moonrocks track first and foremost, it leans heavily into their established, alternative sound. Setting the tone with a subdued, moody verse, you receive a killer drop into the chorus, which sees the band compare leaving a broken relationship to the popular 12-step program used in many AA-type groups.
“Well it’s a bad idea, for me to keep on using
And it’s been clear
That I’m bound to keep on losing
So I’m taking 12 steps to get away from you”
The second half of “12 Steps” gives way to Treaty Oak and Dexter and the Moonrocks blend their sounds to near perfection. There’s no doubt that one of Treaty Oak’s defining characteristics is their harmonies, spearheaded by frontman Sam Canty, and his voice meshes incredibly well with Dexter’s James Tuff.
While I don’t think this track is going to win over any hardcore country traditionalists, at this point in Treaty Oak’s career, you should know exactly what you’re getting with the band. “12 Step,” at its core, is an alternative rock song that’s not trying to win over any critics or doubters of either band’s presence in today’s alternative country landscape. If you’re a fan of both bands, this is nothing short of a homerun from the two powerhouses.
“12 Steps”
Treaty Oak Revival Tour Dates
May 28, 2026 – Panama City Beach, FL – Gulf Coast Jam 2026 ^
May 29, 2026 – Macon, GA – Atrium Health Amphitheatre !
June 18, 2026 – North Lawrence, OH – The Country Fest 2026 ^
June 19, 2026 – Bloomington, IL – Tailgate N’ Tallboys 2026 ^
June 25, 2026 – Bonner Springs, KS – Country Stampede ^
June 26, 2026 – North Platte, NE – NEBRASKAland Days ^
July 1, 2026 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre !
July 8, 2026 – Chicago, IL – Windy City Smokeout ^
July 11, 2026 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena !
July 17, 2026 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days ^
July 18, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre *
Aug. 8, 2026 – Oshkosh, WI – xRoads41 ^
^ festival
* Live Nation
! AEG
