The latest song to strike gold on social media comes from a pair of country-folk songwriters. ‘Betty’s in the Band’ by Abigail Rose and Weston Hunter follows their previous single ‘What The Heart Wants’, and gained immediate viral attention. Since the first glimpse of the song on June 20, the track struck a chord with fans of the 70s folky sound, leaving many people anticipating a release date.

This initial introduction to ‘Betty’s in the Band’ came from a video of the group casually rehearsing the song before an upcoming performance they had in Nashville.

With its instantly catchy chorus, the song rapidly racked up views, Hunter himself commenting that they had “30 people at the show. 150k at the rehearsal.” A promising sign for the indie artists that this might be the track that helps them hit the big time.

Following up with a confirmation that the track had been recorded, a clip from the studio was shared on socials and stated that some of their musician friends had joined in on the fun in the studio - including fellow indie songwriters, Sarah Gross and Kate Stephenson.

The song tells the story of a fictional musician named Betty and the journey to fame that she goes on after the fateful meeting between her and her band. The track has generated comparisons to the Taylor Jenkins Reid novel Daisy Jones & The Six, the cult classic film Almost Famous, and iconic women in the music industry like Stevie Nicks.

From the first post of the track, it’s clear that the duo were not expecting the kind of attention that ‘Betty’s in the Band’ has received. During a live rendition of the song, Rose stated that it was “quite literally changing our lives”. With this likely just being the beginning for Rose and Hunter, ‘Betty’s in the Band’ is sure to become a classic in their catalogue.

The upbeat track leans into the sunshiney sound of 1970s California country-rock, with tinges of folk and a catchy pop-like chorus. The harmonies between Rose and Hunter are filled with warmth, only made brighter by the communal choruses where the full band joins in on the track.

Keeping instrumentation fairly simple throughout, the focus stays on the bright vocals and brings up comparisons to folk groups like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. With a breezy Fleetwood Mac vibe, the track cleverly reflects the story of Betty and the band she’s hitting the road with - an immediate folk-rock classic.

“Bus broke down quarter mile out of town
Sold the radio for an alternator
Thank God now top 40’s out
We’ll sing ourselves sick save our talking for later

She was sneaking in the lobby
Mooching motel coffee
No one dared kicking her out
She said “hey where ya heading? Ain’t got no direction. Anywhere’s cool but south, yeah anywhere’s cool but south.””

The story-based song tells the tale of a charismatic musician named Betty and the adventures she has with her band. As the song kicks off, we’re introduced to the band that Betty is set to join - painting the picture of a 1970s roadtrip, the group’s tour bus might not be the most reliable, but it is full of music.

As the group reaches a motel, they meet Betty - a charming woman who has all the confidence she needs to fit in just about anywhere. When they ask her where she’s heading, her answer is pretty much “wherever you’re going”. Avoiding the American south, they’re sticking to East Coast, West Coast and anywhere in the middle - a long journey with a whole lot of music venues in between.

“Now Betty’s in the band and they’re calling her the man
In juke joints, rodeos and neon cathedrals
Don’t hold too tight that girl was born to fly
Yeah Betty’s in the band and she’s picking up roses
No brighter light on a Friday night
No sweeter high than to watch her glide”

Now that the band has been complete with the addition of Betty, they seem set for success - playing in every venue that will take them, Betty’s been building a reputation as a brilliant entertainer.

The group has made it, they've achieved the dream, and although it might not be destined to be this way forever, for now it’s enough to be playing for the crowds that are coming to see Betty and the Band - there’s nothing brighter and nothing sweeter.

“She got bruises on her legs from the tambourine
Won’t hide her hard times she let ‘em be seen
Don’t count on a call or a miss you song
Like a shooting star, blink and she’s gone”

In this verse, we’re told a little more about Betty - she might be the talk of the town, but she’s also not afraid of leaving. With all the relationships that come with being caught up in the world of fame and music, there’s no guarantee that Betty will be sticking around for anybody. She won’t hide away from anyone or anything, but she also might disappear much quicker than you’re expecting. After all, she's a star.

"Bus broke down quarter mile out of town
Sold the radio for an alternator
Thank God now top 40’s out
We’ll sing ourselves sick save our talking for later

-

She was sneaking in the lobby
Mooching motel coffee
No one dared kicking her out
She said “hey where ya heading? Ain’t got no direction. Anywhere’s cool but south, yeah anywhere’s cool but south.”

-

Now Betty’s in the band and they’re calling her the man
In juke joints, rodeos and neon cathedrals
Don’t hold too tight that girl was born to fly
Yeah Betty’s in the band and she’s picking up roses
No brighter light on a Friday night
No sweeter high than to watch her glide

-

She got bruises on her legs from the tambourine
Won’t hide her hard times she let ‘em be seen
Don’t count on a call or a miss you song
Like a shooting star, blink and she’s gone

-

Yeah Betty’s in the band and we’re filling up stands
From New Port to New York to Wyo Cheyenne
Don’t hold too tight that girl was born to fly
Yeah Betty’s in the band and she’s picking up roses
No brighter light on a Friday night
No sweeter high than to watch her glide

-

Betty’s in the band and she’s picking up roses
Star of the show and everybody knows it
No brighter light on a Friday night
No sweeter high than to watch her glide

-

Ohhh Betty’s in the band
Ohhh Betty’s in the band
Ohhh Betty’s in the band
Ohhh Betty’s in the band"

Abigail Rose

Artist

Weston Hunter

Artist