Nashville’s burgeoning alt-country scene is making it’s way to tastemaker labels like ANTI- Records, who announced that they have just signed Nashville artist Brennan Wedl. Indie favorite Waxahatchee had a hand in the signing, which also includes this very station. The two have released a cover of Kathleen Edward’s “Six O’Clock News” together.

Brennan Wedl is an artist who came to Nashville by way of Minneapolis. She really punched above her weight with Liz Phair-inspired songs like “I Wanna Be Your TV” in 2021.

Somehow that song found it’s way to indie rock favorite Snail Mail. Lindsey Jordan, who is Snail Mail, was trading songs with Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield one day and turned her on to Brennan Wedl. 

Then, in an interview with WNXP in 2024 for her album, “Tigers Blood” Crutchfield said that she’s been listening to Wedl.

When asked “What’s a song you can’t stop listening to?” Crutchfield said, “You know I am going to shout-out a Nashville artist. I have been obsessed with the Brennan Wedl singles that have been coming out. I do not personally know Brennan, but I am a fan.”

That would change. Wedl heard the interview and reached out, determined to get in touch. 

The song that Crutchfield loved was “2 Dollar Pistol,” a 90’s inspired biting single where she uses a newfound Nashville twang in her voice and a wall of fuzzy guitars at the chorus. Her strongest song to date. 

Eventually, a message got through to Crutchfield and the two became friends. One day, Crutchfield said that she loved the new songs Wedl was writing and said, “What can I do to help?” 

Help looks like signing to a tastemaker label

ANTI-Records was basically created to court Tom Waits in 1999. It worked and ANTI- released Mule Variations and every Tom Wait’s record since. Within the past few years, they hired Allison Crutchfield to do A&R. Crutchfield went on a tear, signing indie’s biggest cult obsession of 2024, MJ Lenderman, Nashville’s Katy Kirby, and Crutchfield’s twin sister, Katie Crutchfield, AKA Waxahatchee.  

Wedl’s signing to ANTI- took some time. Weldl and Crutchfield went on tour. Wedl opened for Snocaps, the Crutchfield sisters band. 

Than, “One day she (Crutchfield) just texted me and said, “I would love to help produce some of your music,” Wedl said. After a trip to SXSW last year where Wedl performed at Willie Nelson’s ranch for a show that Waxahatchee put together she got the text. “I was in a Walmart and I got a text from my manager saying, ‘hey, we’re gonna see an offer from ANTI-. Congrats.”

For Wedl, it was a dream come true. “I love that label. That’s my dream label.” 

One of the things that Krutchfield and Wedl bonded over early was the music of Kathleen Edwards. To mark the signing to ANTI-, Wedl and Waxahatchee have released a cover of Kathleen Edward’s 2002 song, “Six O’Clock News.” “We love the one liners that Kathleen Edwards strings into her songs.” Weld first heard the song on the Cities 97.1 sampler released by KTCZ-FM in Minneapolis in 2003. The two sang the song on tour together.

“To sing this song live and to have a recorded one now with Katie is just the greatest gift.”