Labrador

Empathy training, through country music.

Hootin’ and hollerin’ Philly outfit Labrador play a ragged version of alt-country, indebted to the wistful nostalgia of Wilco and the lean rage of The Jayhawks. And they follow a grand tradition of pulling their heart right out of the chest cavity for their music. Ex-cult members, serial killers’ spouses and a pissed off heavenly bureaucracy act as the colorful cast, each of them going through frustration and trauma that underline the attempted growth and reach for empathy that serves as the throughline of Hold the Door for Strangers. With Pat King howling til he bleeds, bassist Saysha Heinzman and violin player Grace Kim adding gravitas, drummer Chris Arena holding down the pocket and Kris Hayes ripping off trembling solos, Labrador have an early foothold in 2023’s country legacy. We talked with bandleader Pat King below.