Following the release of their latest country single ‘House of Cards’, LOCK had the pleasure of catching up with transatlantic married duo Outpost Drive to discuss the new release along with their inspirations, future plans and upcoming album.
Hi Outpost Drive and welcome to LOCK, for our readers, could you please tell us a little about yourself?
Hey LOCK readers! It’s a huge pleasure to be here! We are Outpost Drive, a newlywed husband/ wife duo from Alabama and the UK. We like to think of our music as an intersection between two worlds, blending Mary Bragg’s country roots with Willow’s English rock n roll upbringing.
Your latest single “House of Cards” feels both intimate and cinematic—born in rural Wales but destined for arenas. Can you tell us about the moment this song first came to life?
Willow: Mary Bragg and I met in LA, building our relationship in California. After a while we became a little jaded with city living, and decided to move to the UK – like many other young people of our generation, we moved in with my parents to reset and find our feet. This was a blessing in so many ways and we are forever grateful to them for having us, however living in your childhood bedroom with your wife poses many challenges! Especially since our room was directly above my parents – you can imagine how awkward that is! ‘House Of Cards’ is a cry for freedom inspired by our eventual move after these 2 years spent in isolation.
Mary Bragg: We wrote and recorded this song with our sweet friends Jim Eliot and Jemima Stilwell during a time when we were really struggling with living in the attic and craving our own space. It’s an awkward song to release in some ways because we can’t bear the thought of my angelic in-laws thinking we weren’t also SO grateful to have somewhere to live & without their love and support we wouldn’t have had the freedom to make our music at all. Overall, it is a chapter that was filled with growth and we got a lot of great songs out of it (including House Of Cards). The first time I heard the song in its full form I got goosebumps. A voice inside me said, “damn we’ve got a really good one here.”
You’ve described it as a song about transformation rather than destruction. What personal experiences or conversations shaped that theme?
Willow: I love my parents and we certainly didn’t want to destroy their home. It’s more metaphorical – about the reclaiming of our autonomy and independence.
Mary Bragg: We were forced to grow so much while maneuvering an unsteadiness within ourselves, and the discomfort eventually led to a serious strengthening within us. I’d call it a metamorphosis for sure. We left the attic completely different than when we first moved there.
As a married duo, you’re balancing partnership in life and music. Do creative disagreements ever become part of the writing process and if so, how do you navigate them?
Willow: We love each other above all. Part of that love is giving one another full freedom within songwriting. We agreed from the start to always be truthful and to express the full spectrum of our emotions. That can get raw at times – for example, my song ‘To Be Lovers’ tells the story of our first winter in the UK which was a bit of a pressure cooker. Singing it live still brings up old wounds. Honestly though, our writing process is usually amazing – we’re perfect artistic partners, filling in each other’s blind spots. The arguments are usually spurred on by little things or because we can get overly sensitive about creative ideas. But in the end, the tension shapes our music just as much as love does.
Mary Bragg: It’s a balancing act for sure and you have to be able to take off the relationship hat and prioritise the story and the art. Naturally, that takes a lot of conditioning and we’ve been honing that skill since the beginning of Outpost Drive. It depends on the day honestly haha but Willow is my dream co-writer and I love the songs we write together – he is a brilliant songwriter – it’s such a special thing to get to be so vulnerable and honest with the person you love most in the world. Because we have no choice but to talk about our feelings all the time, in the end, that makes our relationship stronger.
You worked with hitmaker Jim Eliot on this track. What was his impact on the final sound, and how did the collaboration unfold?
Willow: We’re incredibly lucky that Jim happens to live near my family home. We met him simply because there aren’t many people around in that area and word spreads fast when another musician moves in. Over the years we’ve really hit it off with him and his wife Jemima – they’re wonderful people. Collaborating with them has been a gift. Jim is a master at combining big, punchy sounds with ethereal, dreamy soundscapes, which was perfect for this track.
Mary Bragg: Jim and Jemima are musical powerhouses to say the least. They bring so much to the table – great melodies & really catchy lyrics! Working with them is so much fun, and it’s pretty rare to find co-writers who make the process feel effortless. The first song we wrote with them was ‘honeymoon’ and it’s been a fan favourite since the release – they just have that magic in their bones.
“House of Cards” feels perfect for long drives. What kind of setting do you imagine fans listening to it in?
Mary Bragg: Yeah definitely get it on repeat for your road trips. I think you can play it like 80 times in a 4 hour car ride so get it on y’all! You can also play it while doing the laundry, cooking breakfast, taking a bath, relaxing on a beach day, enjoying some quality time with your partner above your parent’s bedroom, or a classic long drive. The list goes on.
Willow: Honestly, in whichever way fans choose to listen is a blessing. We count our lucky stars everyday that people choose our music to accompany their lives.
Who were some of your biggest influences growing up in Alabama and Herefordshire, and how do those worlds collide in your music?
Willow: From my earliest memories, my dad was blasting The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan around the house. My mum, a painter, filled the room with Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Nina Simone, and Fleetwood Mac while we sat and sketched together. As I grew up I found my own heroes and honestly took trips into pretty much every genre, but a few that stand out are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Otis Redding. So much of this music carried the spirit of America, which is why, when Mary Bragg and I crossed paths musically, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Mary Bragg: I’ve had periods of being obsessed with every genre at this point spanning from country right over to metal. Nothing is off limits for me – I’ve been obsessed with all kinds of music my whole life. Naturally, I grew up surrounded by country music. It’s just part of life when you’re from Alabama – it’s playing at home, in the grocery store, on the boat, every restaurant, the playground… you name it! My grandparents were really into all the classic country legends and my parents were listening to Jamey Johnson, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blake Shelton etc just everything country (new and old) and also a lot of good ole rock n roll! When I was about nine or ten, I started digging into my dad’s iPod and that completely opened up my world. I got hooked on classic rock – Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Guns N’ Roses – and I’d have those blasting on school field trips. That’s the kind of music that actually pushed me to pick up a guitar for the first time. I loveddddd Joe Perry & Slash and was also inspired by Orianthi from an early age, she’s just a badass female guitar player & it was inspiring to see as a young girl. In a way, it all feels full circle now, because blending country and rock ’n’ roll is exactly where our sound has landed. It all came together really naturally. We’ve both explored genres a ton, and landed in a place where we feel the most at home. I have no doubts you’ll be able to see the broad spectrum of our influences when you listen to our music.
You’ve played with The Shires, Myles Smith, and even had viral moments that caught Johnny Depp’s attention. What has been the most surreal milestone so far?
Willow: With The Shires we played some incredible milestone venues – Derby Cathedral, York Opera House, De La Warr Pavilion – watching a sea of faces hang off every word was pretty surreal for both of us. But yeh i’d have to say when Johnny Depp shared our single on his Instagram, that blew our minds! We’re such huge fans, so knowing he likes our work is insane. That’s a milestone we’ll never forget.
Mary Bragg: Going on tour with The Shires has been the craziest thing for me for sure. I remember when we started Outpost Drive and I was exploring the UK country scene for the first time – I discovered The Shires immediately. They’re the top of the top in the UK and it was definitely a dream of ours to go on tour with them. Little did we know, our first ever tour would be as a support for none other than The Shires! Ben and Crissie have become such great friends of ours, and it’s easy to see why they’re so successful. They are two of the most talented, kindhearted, down to earth people – it has been an absolute privilege getting to spend so much time with them on the road. We had literally JUST started out when they picked us up for tour, so I am grateful to them forever for taking some rookies out across the UK! I’ve grown so much as a performer through that experience.
“House of Cards” is part of your debut album journey. What can fans expect sonically and emotionally from the record as a whole?
Willow: House of Cards flows naturally into the rest of the album. Sonically, it shares that same epic, cinematic, dreamy, and bold space. But since the album is entirely self-produced, it also has a more organic flavour. We wanted it to sound as live as possible, drawing inspiration from modern artists like Zach Bryan, Sierra Ferrell, and Noah Kahan. It’s without a doubt the greatest artistic statement of our lives so far and we are very excited to share it. Stay tuned in!
Mary Bragg: Y’all I lose my words every time trying to think of what to say about this album. It is everything we dreamed it to be & more! I can’t wait for all the songs to be out so you can enjoy it at home and on the road with us! We have poured our heart and soul into every song and there is not a note that has been overlooked. Everything is intentional. Seriously, you’re going to want to stay up to date with us wherever you listen to music because it’s awesome.
What’s the biggest dream venue or festival you’d love to perform “House of Cards” at one day?
Willow: I’d be lying if I didn’t say The Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and The Royal Albert Hall in London.
Mary Bragg: Nissan Stadium in Nashville. When I lived in Downtown Nashville, I could see Nissan Stadium from my apartment windows & I would dream about playing there. Manifesting the big leagues – you have to! Why not! ALSO Wembley Stadium of course – I saw the iconic Taylor Swift play there last summer and it was insane – definitely wouldn’t mind getting to a level where we could fill that place! Giving it up to God – work your magic!
Quick-Fire Questions
Who makes the first cup of coffee in the morning—Mary Bragg or Willow?
Willow for sure – that boy’s had 3 cups of coffee before I’ve even gotten out of bed
One song (by another artist) you wish you’d written together?
Summertime’s Close – Zach Bryan
If “House of Cards” were a film, what would be its opening scene?
A nostalgic summer drive.