Laramie residents Mike Vanata and Brian Harrington were doing what any young college kid in their 20s would do: taking impromptu backstage videos of their friends’ cool musical performances and posting them to their YouTube channel.
And in 2019, one of their cool “little” videos went viral.
Singing “Cowpoke” in a hangar at Bar Nunn Airport in Wyoming was Canadian Colter Wall.
Before they knew it, the video had suddenly racked up millions of views.
It was a huge hit, and the number of views continues to grow, reaching 12.78 million so far.
That first viral video came with a pleasant surprise: revenue from YouTube ads.
“We had just enough money to buy gas,” Harrington told Cowboy State Daily, “so we could keep filming.”
Another thing that happened with Colter’s video was deciding on a name for the channel. Vanata and Harrington had been arguing for a while about what to name their YouTube channel.
Vanata wanted to put “AF” in there, but Harrington felt people wouldn’t take him seriously if the business had a foul word in its name.
They were adults now, and it was time to leave their college bravado behind.
But Vanata says it was the name that ultimately clinched Colter’s agreement to appear in the video.
“I said no at first,” Harrington says, “but then when Mike told me[our channel]was called ‘Western As F***,’ he changed his mind. He was like, ‘That sounds cool.'”
A wonderful adventure in Western AF
Vanata and Harrington were primed for an amazing adventure in 2020, had some YouTube gas money saved up, and had over 10,000 subscribers eager to watch whatever videos they came up with. Their channel now has about 235,000 subscribers.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the rug was pulled out from under everyone and everything.
Or at first, that’s what it seemed like.
Festivals and concerts that Vanata and Harrington had planned to attend have been canceled.
But as the old saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens.
“There were a lot of songwriters who were stuck inside their homes,” Vanata told Cowboy State Daily.
These songwriters not only desired, they craved a channel through which they could get their work in front of fans, keep up momentum, make rent, and showcase the new music they were working on.
Vanata’s low-key format was perfect for the pandemic, as it aimed to recreate what it would sound like if the artists were just friends sitting on a couch on a Saturday night playing tunes.
“I want the songs to be in their simplest, most authentic form, without any studio production or overdubs or anything like that,” Harrington says. “I just want to hear the real music.”
This format meant that a large production team wasn’t needed.
Even with just a few people in the room, you can still maintain adequate social distancing and still hear more music.
Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists like Willie Carlisle. (Western AF via YouTube)Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists like Drayton Farley. (Western AF via YouTube)Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists like Sierra Ferrell. (Western AF via YouTube)Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists like Charlie Crockett. (Western AF via YouTube) Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists. (Western AF via YouTube) Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists like Nick Shoulders. (Western AF via YouTube) Western AF, a Wyoming-based YouTube channel, has about 235,000 subscribers and features up-and-coming country music artists like The Lostines. (Western AF via YouTube) Arrow leftArrow right
Pursuit of authenticity
In a world where artificial intelligence can mask every human flaw or imperfection, Western AF’s work stands out in that it’s not afraid to let imperfect moments shine.
Singers mock themselves in front of the camera and apologize before even singing, fearing they will “fail.”
Some people accused her off-camera friends of having too much fun, as she broke down mid-song.
Some, like Noeline Hoffman and her song “Purple Gas,” talk about the life that inspired the lyrics.
She looks down, looks to the side, pauses, and speaks words laden with deep emotion.
Even though they’re completely unrehearsed, they’re instantly impressive.
“Sometimes it’s the little mistakes that make a song beautiful and unique,” Harrington says, “and we just want to see that authenticity. More than anything, we think it’s authentic.”
Similarly, there’s no editing when Frankie Zwick bursts into laughter singing, “Guys, don’t let your women learn how to be cowgirls. Don’t let them play guitar or drive old trucks. Let them stay home with their babies and stuff.”
The laughs in front of and behind the camera, the head shakes, the jokes she shares with fellow cowgirls as she wraps up a day of branding at Hell and Buck Ranch, are all part of the authentic atmosphere where her songs not only live and breathe, but become something more than words.
But sometimes it’s not people that bring the surprise, it’s the environment itself that somehow brings the perfectly imperfect “power.”
Like the video for Red Clay Strays’ “Sunshine,” which was filmed in an old barn on Terry Bison Ranch.
“Just as we were leaving, it started pouring,” Harrington said. “The building has a tin roof, so you could hear the rain in the background.”
But the rain didn’t stop the recording and, ultimately, is the best part of the video – the atmosphere it brings is perfect for a song about hope that things will get better, no matter how bad things seem.
“When you hear it and see it, you know it’s something special,” Harrington says, “and that band, Red Clay Strays, has just exploded in popularity since then. I mean, they’re like the headliners at big music festivals now. And that video went viral and exploded their career, so it’s good for all of us.”
A contemporary documentary
The Red Clay Strays signed a record deal with RCA shortly thereafter.
“We were just filming again with them in Mobile and that film will be released on July 30th,” Harrington said.
For Vanata and Harrington, it’s been a great joy to see the artists they’ve photographed achieve great success thanks to the exposure Western AF has brought them, underscoring the importance of creating what they see as a living record of voices that, while they may not have been forgotten, have yet to reach the stratosphere.
“We had singer-songwriters on our channel playing in bars for like $50 a night,” Vanata said, “and now some of them are opening for some of the biggest names in country music. For example, our friend Willie Carlile is now opening for Tyler Childers. Nobody thought that was possible.”
Not only does the channel bring emerging artists to the industry’s attention, it also helps bring new artists to Wyoming.
“People assume we’re from Nashville and ask when we can shoot a video,” Vanata says.
That’s when he tells them that the video crew actually lives in Wyoming.
“Now we have bands that want to come down to Wyoming and shoot videos with us,” Vanata says. “That’s pretty amazing.”
A big connection with Luke Bell
One of the first videos Vanata and Harrington shot was for Vanata’s late friend, famous country musician Luke Bell.
“I grew up with him in Cody,” Vanata says, “and then he left Cody to become a country singer. He had some big hit albums and opened for Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam.”
But Bell suffered from mental health issues that led to his death two years ago, Vanata said.
But it was Bell that first got Vanata and Harrington started making their mark in the music world, and to this day, both credit him with helping them get to where they are today.
“He paved the way for us,” Harrington said. “We were in his music scene and in his circle of friends a lot of the time.”
Bell had often spoken to Vanata and Harrington about this “vibrant musical community,” and both were eager to access and document that world.
“He was the catalyst,” Vanata said.
This was the catalyst that led to many epic musical adventures, the latest of which was a European showcase that took three Nashville artists on the road: Pat Reedy, Christina Murray and Todd Day Waite.
They hope to continue doing this again from time to time with different artists in the future.
“It’s been really well received,” Harrington said. “We’ve already had people asking to come back. We’re not completely off yet, but we will be back when we are.”
Vanata said his goal is to spread the gospel of country music and western codes both in Wyoming and around the world.
Bringing Music to Wyoming
But the duo isn’t just touring with musicians in Europe — they’re also actively lobbying to invite them to come and perform in Wyoming.
Harrington and Vanata are planning a big showcase at the Cowboy Saloon in Laramie on July 20, with four bands scheduled to play in Wyoming, including New Orleans’ Dethroned.
“I dream that one day Laramie will be one of those places that people think of as a music town,” Harrington said. “We’ll never be Austin or Nashville, but we can be that country town that bands want to stop by.”
Laramie already has a history with music, Harrington said.
“Laramie had the Teenage Bottle Rockets,” Harrington says, “and Chancey[Williams]. There’s a lot of music history in this town.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.