Pilcrowe

Sometimes place can be a crucial, defining element in music. Geography permeates songs, conjuring flavor, timbre and tone, and provides a sort of guidepost for creation. It can give voice to the restless ghosts and unresolved history that drifts unsettled in the breeze. 

For Pilcrowe, the massive Colorado Plateau is imbedded deep in every guitar lick, drum note and vocal phrase—the dense and haunting forests of the mountains; the expansive, arid deserts of the lowlands; and the imposing, picturesque canyon country imbue a sense of the spacious, boundless West often lamented in literature or the hazy dreams of a bygone era. This is where Pilcrowe was born, among the dirt, rocks, wide-open spaces and dark skies, but also within the region’s remarkable mix of peoples and interwoven communities. 

It's been called a lot of things … rock, folk, Americana. But Pilcrowe’s long-simmering songs and patient musicianship create a singular atmosphere as the band attempts to offer a contemporary take on the places where landscape and humanity intersect. 

Pilcrowe, based in Flagstaff, Arizona, is part of a musical continuum that began more than a decade ago. Drummer Andrew Lauher and guitarist Ryan Heinsius have collaborated for years in other projects like Crow Wing and the Voluntary String Band. But Pilcrowe has remained a steadfast focus for the duo. The band has further developed their craft with their second full-length album, These Badlands, released in August 2025. It follows the highly lauded 2023 album West of Center and the a 2022 EP The Big Burn, all released by the band’s own Woody Mountain Records. Pilcrowe's recorded work pulls in a variety of disparate styles but always manages to blend the acoustic earthiness of folk music and singer-songwriter Americana with an electrified punch the band has developed through playing countless live shows across the country in its many forms over the years. 

These Badlands' cover features the lush artwork of Flagstaff artist Cole Habay. Her pieces also graced the cover of West of Center and The Big Burn.

To read other folks' takes on Pilcrowe, head over to our press page.