The Highlanders are a five-piece alternative band with a gritty roots sound, but don't consider themselves a country act anymore. "We definitely started playing standard country. We’re from Kentucky so we thought that’s what we had to play. As we kept progressing we finally were able to blend in a little bit of ourselves and our influences," said singer and guitarist Colin O’Daniel.   The group first got together in 2018 and went from playing cover songs at their local pool, to playing their own songs at small venues all while developing a serious buzz in Louisville and Lexington. Their debut album, Different in the Dark, was a strong roots rock session, while their upcoming 2022 self-titled album, “The Highlanders” will be a much more modern approach leaning into the “Louisville Indie” and alternative folk genre.