Sonoran Sounds

Sonoran Sounds is a journey across the Arizona landscape — from the skyscrapers, back alleys and college bars in greater Phoenix and Tucson to the high deserts, border towns (and beyond) that gave rise The Grand Canyon State’s folk, rock and country music scenes.

This book is a walk along Mill Avenue in Tempe, the centerpiece of the post-grunge heyday where Gin Blossoms, the Refreshments and Dead Hot Workshop paid their dues. It’s the story of Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers forging a loyal fanbase the hard way while building a festival from the ground-up that reshaped the future of Rocky Point, Mexico. It’s a reminder that Jimmy Eat World and The Format launched themselves from Arizona. It’s an appreciation of the career that native son Evan Honer built for himself. It’s an appraisal of the life of Waylon Jennings and the music that Shooter Jennings continues to unearth to this day. It’s a recognition that Drew Cooper, the Jons and more are keeping independent, original music coming from the same desert sands. And it’s a reminder that artists like Micky & The Motorcars, Dalton Domino and Shelby Stone would not have the careers they have without Arizona.

Written by Josh Crutchmer — New York Times editor, Rolling Stone contributor and Back Lounge Publishing author with five books to his name since 2020 — Sonoran Sounds takes the form of in-depth profiles, short-form essay commentary, and gripping concert reviews, all in service of the living legacy of Arizona’s roots music.

Josh Crutchmer says:
I grew up in Northeast Oklahoma, raised country and listening to country music — until high school, when I heard Gin Blossoms’ New Miserable Experience for the first time, and it redirected my entire life. A few years later, The Refreshments’ Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy became the soundtrack to my late teen years. In college in the early 2000s, I immersed myself in the Red Dirt and Americana scenes, and I was shocked to discover that one band, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, was the next iteration of those same Refreshments from my high school days. Five years later, I was living in Arizona, exploring the same Tempe bars that gave rise to my favorite artists and watching them give rise to a new wave of rock, punk and emo outfits like Jimmy Eat World and The Format. I never lost my fascination with the music being made in Arizona, and now, 20 years later, Sonoran Sounds is my best effort at reminding fans of the impact Arizona continues to have on our favorite music.

Details
The book is anticipated to be 220 pages, including 20+ pages of photography featuring the artists showcased in Sonoran Sounds. The cover will be revised slightly in late summer 2026 to feature the names of showcased artists.