Harvest Thieves

The beginning and the end of Saturday provided ideal bookends, though, courtesy of local alternative-country band Harvest Thieves. Just past noon among picnic tables and scattered hay in the back of Lucy’s Fried Chicken off South Congress, the group eased into SXSW’s final stretch with a laid-back set of tunes that drew revelers of all ages:

At 11 p.m., just after the marathon Doug Sahm tribute had let out at the Paramount Theatre (see our Austin360 review by John T. Davis here), the band took the stage again at West Fifth Street hangout Lucky Lounge for their official SXSW showcase. They turned up the intensity with an impressive 40-minute set that highlighted original songs from their 2013 debut EP and an upcoming full-length album.

They also slipped in a couple of perfectly fitting covers: “Hard Luck Story” by Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams’ 1990s alt-country forerunners, and a set-closing stomp through Sahm’s “Give Back the Key to My Heart” that would have gone over like gangbusters at the Paramount an hour earlier had Harvest Thieves been part of that massive celebration. - SXSW Review "Favorite Acts"

Spun out from Austin roots-rockers Guns of Navarone, Cory Reinisch and Dustin Meyer's Harvest Thieves has evolved into a bristling quintet following the local acclaim of 2013's Lightning in a Bottle EP. Debut LP Rival slated for summer delivery, the Thieves craft pulsing, poignant alt.country ballads that kick up hard-luck heartbreak and restlessness. – Doug Freeman - SXSW 2015 "Who to Watch"

Alternative-country has largely blended into the broader Americana landscape in recent years, but here’s a band that harkens back to the dead-center focus of the subgenre. Performing at Holy Mountain on Jan. 2, singer-guitarist Cory Reinisch and his bandmates delivered a solid set of twang-infused rocking originals, capping it with a glorious cover of Doug Sahm’s “Give Back the Key to My Heart” (a nod to Uncle Tupelo’s Austin-recorded alt-country touchstone “Anodyne”).

The six-piece group made an auspicious debut in 2013 with the four-song EP “Lightning in a Bottle,” and they were busy in 2014 recording “Rival,” a full-length debut due this spring. In the meantime, plenty of Harvest Thieves live shows are on the immediate horizon: Catch them at ABGB on Saturday with Clyde & Clem’s Whiskey Business, and they’ll be at Rainey Street hang the Blackheart every Saturday in February. - Free Week Austin 2015

A cold, hard rain didn't keep crowds away from the kickoff to the first weekend of Free Week at Holy Mountain. That each act plied a distinctive sound kept things lively, while sleek 40-minute sets proved the ideal format. Play the best of whatever it is you do and make way for the next locals. The five who make up Borrisokane broke out an art-rock style that belied their collective youth. The songs veered from quirky to diffuse with noteworthy ease. Harvest Thieves, fronted by Cory Reinisch (ex-Guns of Navarone) and anchored by Holy Mountain owner James Taylor on drums, comes from the Jackson Browne school of alt.country, where durable melodies and chunky guitars abound. Covering Doug Sahm's "Give Back the Key to My Heart" demonstrated roots and smarts. A. Sinclair successfully moved away from any semblance of its former identity, rockers Frank Smith. They've jelled into a full-throttle post-punk ensemble unafraid to use feedback and harmonies for color. Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Bobby Jealousy) led headliner Sweet Spirit all over the musical map, balancing punky dance moves with big theatrics. - Free Week 2015 Review

Sometimes you'll hear hard rock and sometimes you'll feel country, but all the time you'll enjoy the energetic show put on by this collection of Austin musicians. By Saturday of SXSW Music, you may be pretty wiped out so conserve your energy that day and save it for their show at 11pm. - SXSW 2015 Show Preview

Austin five piece new country act, Harvest Thieves will be on the bill as well. I say new country, but I mean that in the way of an alt country act performing songs of the new South, with vocals like they’re strung from the pipes of Jay Farrar. Their latest is 2013’s “Lightning In A Bottle,” and worth giving a spin. - Show Preview

As ATH has always been a big supporter of Guns of Navarone, we were overly excited when our friends in the band sent us over music from a new project they’ve been working on. This Austin supergroup going by the name of The Harvest Thieves features members of the aforementioned Guns as well as East Cameron Folkcore and Bankrupt & The Borrowers. Already the new group have an EP entitled Lightning in a Bottle up and available for download over on bandcamp at a “pay what you want” set up. I’m finding myself immediately drawn to the 2nd track from the EP “Escape From the Paper City”. It’s clearly a country/americana themed tune with an almost anthemic sound and an extremely full sound that drives the song home. It seems rare that we find this kind of quality Texas themed sounds in this town anymore and I couldn’t be more excited about this new project.

Stay tuned for more. - Austin Town Hall

Making Americana Gold :: Harvest Thieves

Making a name for yourself in the crowded ranks of the Americana/Country scene isn't an easy task in Austin. With great acts like Leo Rondeau, Crooks, Mayeax and Broussard, Mike and the Moonpies and dozens more playing weekly and filling The White Horse regularly for years now, it's refreshing to see new names and great new bands finally getting attention. Harvest Thieves are just one of the many great bands to recently break out but they aren't exactly new on the scene. Lead singer, Cory Reinisch and bassist, Dusty Meyer also front the group Guns of Navarone, who have made their own mark around the city for the last four years. The group is releasing a 7'' split with Minneapolis singer, Sam Cassidy June 5th at Holy Mountain with a great bill of heavy hitters and two amazing songwriters, Ben Ballinger and A. Sinclair. - The Deli Austin

Austin’s own Harvest Thieves have readied a 7″ single, Escape From Paper City, and they’ll be holding their release party tomorrow at Holy Mountain. The band is a little bit country thanks to its steel guitar, banjo, honky tonk keys and twangy harmonies, and a whole lot rock n’ roll because of solid drumming and driving guitars.

Special guests Lowin, A. Sinclair, and Ben Ballinger all each suitably complement this packed local bill with their own stamp on gritty, whiskey fueled rock and country. There’s a $5 cover at the door, or for $10 you’ll receive a copy of the 7″, a show poster, and a Harvest Thieves coozie.

By the way, Harvest Thieves frontman Cory Reinisch has taken up a Tuesday night residency at Holy Mountain for the month of June. Check him out sometime. - Side One Track One

The Harvest Thieves are the first band on the bill at our Holy Mountain show this weekend – Saturday! At $9! For only $5! We thought we should all get to know these guys – a third of whom used to be in Guns of Navarone – a bit better before the big day. Check out this brief e-mail interview we did with them, and we’ll see you at the show!

OVRLD: Guns of Navarone seemingly ended pretty suddenly after a great run. What was the catalyst for the decision to move on?

Cory: It was a great run and I remain fond of all we were able to accomplish, along with the effort involved, but it was time to move on. Life often dictates change for various reasons, and that’s what happened here. There’s a bit more flexibility involved, on multiple levels, with this new project and that was something of a priority for me.

Dustin: After Guns of Navarone ended, I had already decided I was going to do something; I just hadn’t figured out what. A few weeks after Guns disbanded, Cory and I were talking and found we still had similar goals and ambitions. We threw around the idea of making Harvest Thieves a full-time project and it seemed like a good move since we had the EP. We talked to James and he was on-board. Then it was a matter of finding the right musicians who had time for a full-time project.

OVRLD: Harvest Thieves is nominally the same genre as Guns of Navarone, and shares two band members – how is the new band different from the old one?

James: Personally I think we’re doing something different than what Guns of Navarone did. Maybe that’s not apparent in the EP we recorded, but that’s almost a year old, and with a different lineup. With the six people we have in Harvest Thieves now I think we’re writing some really interesting songs that stretch out and push us all musically. It’s still rooted in Americana for sure but it’s got more to offer.

Cory: I think there’s a concerted effort at versatility in this band. I feel like I can kind of “stretch my legs” a little more with Harvest Thieves than I’ve been able to in the past. Much of that comes down to my own growth and being ready to do so. I feel like I’ve matured as a writer and musician because of my time involved with past projects, and this band has given me the perfect opportunity to broaden those boundaries, I suppose. Another quite obvious difference is the fact that there are more moving pieces to Harvest Thieves. There are more of us, so we have more parts in the engine.

OVRLD: As an alt-country-ish band, what kind of receptions do you get when you play a more rock-oriented show or venue, versus a more country-oriented show or venue? Or do you see a difference at all?

James: I don’t really know that there’s any “country” music in our sound. You’ll probably never see us on a bill with Mike and the Moonpies or Crooks — but we damn sure love those bands.

Cory: We’re still a young band, so I’m sure we’ll discover more of this dynamic as we move forward. However, while the initial ideas and songs are predominately established from a folk or country origin, I don’t think they always develop into that. I think that’s inherently due to the musicians in this band and the voice they give to each song as individuals. With this band, the songs take on their own form and it’s always for the best. There’s no doubt that we play roots music, but ultimately we want to be versatile enough to hold our own in any setting.

Dustin: We’ve had a warm reception at the shows we’ve played, all rock oriented. We have a country/roots influence and that’s probably heard but we’re writing more roots rock songs and arrangements.

OVRLD: What are you most excited about for 2014?

James: Getting into the studio so people can hear what we really have to offer. We cut 15 demo songs with John Michael Landon at Estuary Studios last week. April we’re going to begin work on the album with a Fall release date. Hopefully some touring this summer.

Dustin: Studio and van time.

Cory: Recording a full-length album with Michael Landon at Estuary is at the top of the list. I’m eager to give people the opportunity to hear what we can come up with, and I’m excited about what we’ve come up with so far. We have a full slate this year, and we’re diving right in. - OVRLD.com

Harvest Thieves at Holy Mountain. Drummer James Taylor refers to his group Harvest Thieves as “our jagged little country band.” That’s a reasonable description of “Escape From the Paper City,” an evocative song they’ve contributed to a split 7-inch shared with Minneapolis alt-country songwriter Sam Cassidy. The band celebrates the single’s release at the club Taylor books, Holy Mountain, with opening acts Ben Ballinger, A. Sinclair and Lowin. $5. 9 p.m. 617 E. Seventh St. holymountainaustin.com. — P.B. - Austin360.com

Country rock upstarts the Harvest Thieves have an inaugural release in their sweet slab of 7-inch vinyl, which finds their "Escape From the Paper City" splitting wax with Minneapolis songwriter Sam Cassidy. The group, led by former Guns of Navarone frontman Cory Reinisch, play a release show next Thursday at Holy Mountain. - Austin Chronicle

Chase Hoffberger
Austin Top 10

1) White Denim, Corsicana Lemonade (Downtown)
2) Berkshire Hounds, Are Not Amused
3) East Cameron Folkcore, For Sale
4) League of Extraordinary Gz, #LeagueShit
5) Dumb, Live Fast Die Dumb (Gnar)
6) American Sharks, American Sharks (The End)
7) Mirror Travel, Mexico (Modern Outsider)
8) Yum, Take My Blue
9) The Octopus Project, Fever Forms (Peek-a-Boo)
10) The Harvest Thieves, Lightning in a Bottle - Austin Chronicle

Mr. James Taylor rocked his house with the rest of the Harvest Thieves, a gang of well-dressed dapper dudes and a lady. This group captures another incredible facet of the live music experience in Austin with its ability to reclaim roots music as a form for merriment and dance. With galloping shuffles and hugely slick lead guitar, the band balances country, folk-rock, and stomp-pop into a high-energy experience that captures the audience’s desire to stay warm, especially Friday night when upper-30s temps and steady rain pushed the crowd closer and closer to the front of stage as more bodies filled the interior to capacity. Holy Mountain was filled Friday night, making it difficult to maneuver, yet relatively easy to grab another cold one in between songs, refueling with a little extra oil to keep the motor running smoothly. It goes so well with three-part harmonies that it makes it difficult to think otherwise… - Pop Press International

Best New Local Act

Beets: Eat the Taco
Caligiuri: Harvest Thieves
Curtin: Sweet Spirit
Freeman: Curtis McMurtry
Hernandez: Dat Boy Supa
Spearman: Dat Boy Supa
Stegall: Xetas
Toland: HeadShy
Trachtenberg: Sip Sip - Austin Chronicle

Austin band Harvest Thieves delivers rugged and heartfelt Americana.

Started as a side-project by Cory Reinish and Dustin Meyer from Guns of Navarone, Harvest Thieves released their debut EP “Lightning in a Bottle” in 2013. Departing from the musicians’ previous work, Harvest Thieves’ music plays with maturity and versatility, a combination of country, rock, and alt-folk, featuring melodies more complex than before. Now a full-time project with the addition of James Taylor on drums, Coby Tate on guitar, Annah Fisette on keys, Kirby Doss on banjo, the band has since released a split 7-inch with Sam Cassidy, featuring their track “Escape from the Paper City.” Harvest Thieves is set to release their debut album, Rival, this summer and has been selected as one of SXSW 2015’s official artists.

You can catch Harvest Thieves playing live at the Blackheart every Saturday throughout the month of February or stream them right here on KUTX.

–Leyla Aksu - KUTX

As Austin’s Guns of Navarone were winding down their run on the regional alt-country scene, guitarist/songwriter Cory Reinisch and bass player Dustin Meyer had already been playing shows as a duo under a new moniker: Harvest Thieves. When the end of Guns inevitably came, the two brought in their manager James Taylor on drums and put all of their focus on the new project. Armed immediately with an EP, Lightning in a Bottle, the trio started playing out more locally and quickly decided to fill out the sound with a lead guitar player, Coby Tate, and Annah Fisette on keys and eventually mandolin.

Once the band was completely formed, a more diverse sound began to come alive. “I think we are a little more on the roots side with Harvest Thieves than we were with the old band,” Reinish says. “We explore a little more country and Western swing songs. But, the songs are still driving songs; we just explore a little of that old-timey feel.” With a slightly new direction established, the Harvest Thieves set to work the honing the songs that would become their first full-length album, Rival, which dropped in January of this year.

In an era where many records are recorded almost on the fly, Rival was a project that took over eight months to finish. The result is an extremely tight collection of songs that showcase the band’s cohesiveness and ability to slide comfortably into any facet of the Americana landscape, and the reception so far has been very encouraging. January saw the Harvest Thieves picked as the featured artist of the month on Austin’s KUTX, and the album’s lead single “Bob Dylan’s 78th Hangover” (a rollicking country rocker that showcases the bands off-kilter harmonies) has been getting consistent national airplay across multiple platforms.

Although Reinisch remains the primary songwriter, he credits the other members of the band for creating the sounds that came out in the recording process.

“I feel like the songs that I write start from a singer-songwriter perspective, more rudimentary, turning into folk songs or stripped down country tunes,” he explains. “Once we get into the studio it’s very democratic, whether it’s just seasoning them, or rearranging them and trying to find the right structure and feel of the tune, and the band plays a huge part in that when it comes to the final output. This is first time in my life that I’ve had a group of musicians around me that are on the same page with the same goals in mind, and nine times out of 10 the ideas I bring in become way better than I could have ever imagined.”

Although the Harvest Thieves are still technically a “young band,” the members are all in their mid to late 30s — a fact that Reinisch considers a positive, “sitting on this side, knowing what I know now.”

“The only negative,” he admits, “is that if I had started a younger age I would have more time under my belt.” But all that maturity goes a long way when it comes to keeping the band’s priorities on track. “There is a singular focus on the goals we want to achieve and the content we want to put out,” he says.

It’s that work ethic, in fact, that drives the band’s plans to follow-up the still new and buzzing Rival with a new EP later this same year. They’re also setting their sights well beyond their hometown scene, touring both regionally and out of state, having just returned from their first tour of the Midwest this month. But of course they’ll be playing all over Austin during South by Southwest week — including an early afternoon spot at Friday’s Lone Star Music and KOKE-FM Dillo Mixer at Threadgill’s World Headquarters. - Lone Star Music Magazine

SANTA FE, N.M. — Cory Reinisch has been getting no rest.

And it’s because of the amount of shows he’s been performing.

“We have had a show every night in Austin for the past week,” he says during a recent phone interview. “There’s no rest for the weary.”

Reinisch is a member of the alt-country band Harvest Thieves, based in Austin, Texas.

The band is in its infancy, yet during its short time, it has become a critical darling.

Harvest Thieves recently released its debut album, “Rival.” The band – which includes Dustin Meyer, Annah Fisette, Coby Tate and Wes Cargal – worked on “Rival” for months.

Reinisch hoped the album would have been out sooner than last November, but it didn’t happen.

“Our old drummer, James (Taylor), ended up moving in October,” he says. “We wanted to get it out before he moved as a gift to him being in the band. When that didn’t happen, we decided to get all of our ducks in a row for a proper release.”

Harvest Thieves formed about three years ago in Austin.

Reinisch and Meyer were in another band at the time, and Harvest Thieves was being treated as a side project.

When the other band decided to break up, the duo decided to pursue Harvest Thieves full time.

“That was one of the best decisions we’ve made,” he says. “The fans have been embracing our music, and that’s all we can ask for.”

As far as writing goes, Reinisch doesn’t shy away from any topic. Though he does have a rule.

“If something is going to be damaging to myself or someone, I don’t see the need for that,” he says. “I try to phrase everything in a certain way that each person can take what they wish from the song. It’s open to your own interpretation.”

The band will be performing the majority of its album at the concert in Madrid.

“Our focus right now is getting our name out to more people,” he says. “We have an album that we’re proud of making. Now it’s time to hit the road and play the songs.” - Albuquerque Journal

Harvest Thieves
Rival
REVIEWED BY JIM CALIGIURI, FRI., JAN. 29, 2016

In the mid to late Nineties, the original heyday of alt.country (too country for rock, too rock for country), a band like the Harvest Thieves seemingly hailed from every burgh in America on a monthly basis. That happens much less frequently these days, making the local quintet's first full-length a novelty, but one that's backed with strong songwriting as well as twangy atmospherics that hang in the air long after the music ends. Fans of early Whiskeytown, Old 97's, and Blue Mountain will find lots to like among titles "Bob Dylan's 78th Hangover," "I Killed Laura Palmer," and "Upstage on the Front Page." - Austin Chronicle

Harvest Thieves - “Rival” Review

"Punks Not Dead," the Exploited proclaimed, without benefit of apostrophe, with the title and first song of its 1981 debut album. And punk indeed was not dead, and no other genre or subgenre has truly died once it's been born. Harvest Thieves confirm the pulse of alt-country music.

The heart of the Austin, Texas, quintet's first full-length, "Rival," is at once divided among folk, rock and country and true to each in its own peculiar way. Furious marches like "Your Damn Vanity," sorrowful ballads like "Talk of Surrender" and honky-tonk hollers like "Upstage on the Front Page" could drain glasses from Texas to Wisconsin.

Cory Reinisch's voice crossbreeds hoarseness from Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and brashness from Old 97s' Rhett Miller, although his songwriting voice isn't as varied or deep, yet, as either of theirs. Having proven that alternative country is not dead, he and Harvest Thieves can make it livelier. - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal

By Peter Blackstock - American-Statesman Staff

“Please don’t shoot us.”

Harvest Thieves have just unleashed a blazing cover of Whiskeytown’s alt-country stomper “Take Your Guns to Town,” and Cory Reinisch is having a little fun with the crowd. Good news: The folks who have come to the Continental Club on the night after Christmas appear content just to whoop and holler their appreciation for the energy Harvest Thieves are expending onstage. No additional firepower is necessary.

Harvest Thieves revive classic alt-country on auspicious debut album photo SUZANNE CORDEIRO

Harvest Thieves performs at the Continental Club. From left: Annah Fisette, Wes Cargal, Cory Reinisch, Dustin Meyer and Coby Tate.
Opening for country mainstays Mike & the Moonpies, Reinisch and his four bandmates wear their love for classic American roots music on their sleeves. They confidently churn out versions of classics from the Neil Young and Doug Sahm songbooks, even as they reveal a near-obsession with Whiskeytown by playing four songs from the Ryan Adams-fronted band’s 1990s heyday.

But it’s Harvest Thieves’ own material that gets the most stage time. Their 75-minute set surveys most of the dozen songs on “Rival,” which the band releases this week with a celebratory show Friday night at Scoot Inn. A four-song EP in 2013 hinted at the band’s potential, but “Rival” heralds Harvest Thieves’ arrival as a contemporary heir to the hard-twang sounds pioneered two decades ago by the likes of the Old 97’s and the Jayhawks.

Their sound reflects what can happen when a bunch of small-town Texas country folks immerse themselves in Austin’s vibrant indie music scene. Reinisch, bassist Dustin Meyer, guitarist Coby Tate and drummer Wes Cargal migrated here from Brady, Victoria, San Angelo and Longview, respectively; only keyboardist Annah Fisette is a native Austinite.

Reinisch, who writes most of the band’s songs, grew up steeped in the honky-tonk sounds that dominate rural West Texas. The first concert he ever attended was Johnny Bush, the so-called “country Caruso” who wrote Willie Nelson’s signature tune “Whiskey River.” As a teen, Reinisch pulled weekend-morning DJ shifts on Brady country station KNEL-AM.

Both he and Tate went to Texas Tech in the late ’90s, though they didn’t know each other then. Reinisch often attended shows at Lubbock bar the Blue Light, catching the rise of Pat Green, Cory Morrow, Wade Bowen and others who were carving out a “Texas country” niche that bypassed the Nashville machinery.

His initial interest in most of those acts faded when he realized he wanted material that dug deeper. “I suppose there still are some really hip songwriters in that genre,” he says, “but they don’t take a lot of chances. They don’t go far off the formula.”

Coinciding with the onslaught of good ol’ boys on the Texas country roadhouse circuit was an uprising of roots bands in towns such as Chicago, St. Louis and Austin, which took their cues more from the adventurousness of punk rock. That’s where Reinisch, who’d played in some rock-oriented cover bands while at Tech, finally found his voice as a songwriter.

“You could tell on first listen that there was just more effort put into it,” he says of the late-’90s alt-country sounds that caught his ear. He remembers thinking, “I like rock and punk music, but also, this sounds familiar. It sounds like home. These two things blending together — that’s me. That’s what I want to do.”

After college, Reinisch moved to Dallas and worked for a few years in radio advertising. In 2007 he moved to Austin, determined to play music. He bonded with bassist Meyer while they were in the band Guns of Navarone, which released an album in 2011 before splitting up.

Reinisch and Meyer became the foundation of Harvest Thieves, where they serve almost as dual frontmen. Reinisch sings lead, but Meyer adds essential harmonies and chips in as a songwriter. Onstage, he’s as likely as Reinisch to engage in between-song banter, offering friendly welcomes and humorous asides that help make Harvest Thieves one of Austin’s most endearing live acts.

Meyer’s chance encounter with Tate in October 2013 locked down the band’s lead guitar slot. Tate, who’d moved to Austin after several years with the Bryan band Ben Morris & the Great American Boxcar Chorus, brought rock sensibilities to country guitar, making him an ideal fit for Harvest Thieves.

A key turning point was the addition of Fisette, who joined around the same time as Tate. A Bowie High School and University of Texas grad who was raised playing piano and violin, she’d played in the dream-pop band Letting Up Despite Great Faults before taking a sharp turn toward rootsier sounds with Harvest Thieves.

“I’ve never really preferred one genre over the other,” says Fisette, who has also picked up mandolin since joining the band. “I’ve been really fortunate, with this band and Letting Up, to work with really great songwriters. Cory can write a song that really speaks to you.”

Cargal, whose resume includes both hard-edged indie-rockers Not in the Face and honky-tonker Weldon Henson, is the most recent recruit. He joined after original drummer James Taylor, who also booked the now-shuttered downtown music venue Holy Mountain, moved to Minneapolis in October. Taylor played drums on “Rival” and remains Harvest Thieves’ manager; Reinisch calls him “still very much a part of this band.”

Though day-job obligations will limit the group’s touring behind “Rival” mostly to short hops around the state, they have dates in New Mexico booked for early February, as well as a Midwest jaunt in early March. In the meantime, they’ll remain busy locally, following up Friday’s Scoot Inn show with appearances later this month at Cactus Cafe, the Parish and the Blackheart.

Back at the Continental Club on that late December night, Harvest Thieves have kept a packed house fully engaged for an hour when they launch into “Part-Timer’s Lament,” one of the new album’s best tracks. A midtempo number with a starkly anthemic grandeur, it’s a near-perfect marriage of Reinisch’s country existentialism and the band’s rock ’n’ roll abandon.

“Hell is half full of sinners and spite; the other half’s full of men who don’t try,” Reinisch sings, bolstered by Fisette’s harmonies and clarion-bell keyboard chimes. Soon enough, Meyer’s thumping bass and Cargal’s thundering drums drive the music to a fevered peak, as Tate rips off a glorious cascade of notes and chords that strike straight into the song’s emotional heart.

They’re a good band. Please don’t shoot ’em. - Austin American Statesman