w a s t e . t i m e . n o w

A joke where I come from goes “there’s only two kinds of music — country and western”.

I was mostly raised on 70s rock, but every now and again I settle into a wicked honky tonk bender. If you’ve ever done somebody wrong, or been done wrong by somebody else, you’ll recognize the sound of the steel guitar.

Honky tonk music started taking shape around the end of the first world war, found its stride through the 40s and 50s, and reached its zenith in the 70s. Henry Horenstein celebrates the sunset age in Honky Tonk: Portraits Of Country Music 1972-1981.

It’s easy to get lost in these pictures — moments frozen in time so clearly you feel yourself there. Horenstein’s photos document famous places and legendary entertainers, but my favourites are the pictures of people like you. So put on some Ernest Tubb, pour some Wild Turkey, and spend some time feeling lonesome for places you’ve never been.