The Northwest Grifters Release Debut Album ‘This Side of the River’

There’s something timeless about a record that knows exactly what it is.

The Northwest Grifters’ debut album, This Side of the River, is a strong, confident collection of original Americana songs that leans into twang, harmony, storytelling, and character without ever feeling forced. It’s rooted in familiar traditions, but it still feels personal to the band and the songwriters behind it.

The band are a Melbourne-based five piece, made up of Noel Landry, Mike Sullivan, Brent Tough, Blair Dawes, and Ross McGregor, and one of the things that stands out straight away on this record is the depth of musicianship across the group. There’s a real sense of shared musical language here, with multiple vocalists, songwriters, and instrumental textures all helping shape the identity of the album.

This Side of the River brings together 12 tracks written by the band’s Canadian and Australian songwriters, covering themes like wanderlust, movement, fear, passion, love, and loneliness. It’s an album with plenty of heart in it, and that comes through not just in the lyrics, but in the feel of the performances as well.

What I like about this release is that it feels natural and unforced. The songs are allowed to breathe, the arrangements serve the material, and the whole thing feels honest. That really suits this kind of music. When you’re working in a genre built on storytelling and feel, authenticity matters, and this album has plenty of it.

I had the pleasure of mastering the album, and it was great to help bring the final record over the line. It’s always satisfying working on a project where the songs already have such a clear identity, because the job then becomes about supporting that and helping the album translate as a cohesive listening experience from start to finish.

If you’re into Americana, roots music, harmony-driven songwriting, and twang-infused arrangements, this one is well worth your time.

You can listen to This Side of the River now via the band’s streaming platforms, and if you’re in Melbourne, they’ll also be launching the album live at The Espy Basement, St Kilda, on 21 June 2026 from 4pm to 7pm.

The band also play regularly across Melbourne, including venues such as The Drunken Poet, Woodlands, The Merri Bar, The Coburg RSL, and Sunshine Social.

Listen to the album and keep up with The Northwest Grifters here:
Bandcamp, Spotify, SoundCloud

And if you’ve got your own music ready for release and need professional mastering, you can learn more about working with me here