The Derangers

Twang 'em High! The Derangers Westernmental Sound is Back! One hot Saturday afternoon in 1988, Texas blues guitarist Drew Townson, then freshly relocated to Boston from Dallas, was watching The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on TV. The music in the legendary Italian western caught Drew's attention, big time. He jumped off the couch, grabbed his guitar, and began playing in a whole new way. That moment changed Drew's musical direction forever. In 1989, he started the Derangers (rhymes with strangers), dedicated to playing spooky instrumental themes, encompassing spaghetti western, surf, spy-jazz, and more. The first original recording by The Derangers was a cinematic western called Rio Sangre, released in 1990, which was internationally hailed as a standout track. Some called it desert surf or Texas surf. By the early 90s, film directors like David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino also began exploring this haunted, reverberant sound in their movies. As a guitarist, Drew had always been a fan of Duane Eddy and surf guitar kings like Dick Dale and The Ventures, as well as wearing his love for Texas blues on his sleeve at all times. So it was only natural to combine these influences in to the Derangers' Westermental sound. Armed with his vintage Stratocaster, Daphne Blue, Drew and guys gigged, toured and recorded steadily from 1990 to 2000, always exploring the twangiest side of surf. In 2011, after a decade of dormancy, Drew resurrected the band and the sound, returning to catch the wave of a new and vibrant instrumental generation. Get ready to Twang em High; the Derangers ride again!