alt-country

noun

alt-coun·​try ˈȯlt-ˈkən-trē 

: country music that is produced by performers who are outside the mainstream of country music and that is typically regarded as differing from mainstream country in being less polished, more original, and more eclectic especially in incorporating influences from such genres as rock, folk music, blues, and punk

Examples of alt-country in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With a mood board of influences including CD-binder staples like Neil Young’s Harvest Moon and alt-country lifers Blue Rodeo’s Five Days in July, Shabason and Krgovich summon the spirit of a backyard campfire attended by folkies and experimental jazz nerds alike. — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 18 June 2026

Red-dirt alt-country band Southall will open. — Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2026

Her 1998 alt-country classic landed at Number 98 on our Greatest Albums list. — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2026

Before slipping into silence in the mid-’90s, Souled American had morphed from rootsy alt-country band to adding ambient shades and slowcore to their music. — David Harris, SPIN, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for alternative country

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alt-country

• backcountry
• countrie
• country
• intercountry