Foot Ox

Foot Ox, the long-running experimental folk project led by Teague Cullen, will release its highly anticipated new album A Lighthouse with Silver Dog Eyes on August 11 on Ernest Jenning Record Co.. The band has shared the album’s lead single, “Horseshoe,” out now on all digital platforms.

On the song, Cullen says: 

"‘Horseshoe’ was actually written back when I was in a band called Cardinal Signs with Frankie and Andrew. We ended up having to break up when the pandemic hit and live shows stopped. The song is really about those big, uncontrollable forces in life, losing people because of circumstances, and trying to follow your heart even when things get chaotic. But really, it’s about appreciating the people you have around you and embracing that” 

Since 2007, Foot Ox has carved a distinct place in the indie landscape, blending surreal storytelling and emotive instrumentation within a shifting palette of folk, country, punk, and experimental rock. Emerging from the fertile Phoenix-Tempe DIY scene that also gave rise to artists like AJJ, Stephen Steinbrink, iji, and Roar, Cullen’s project has become known for its raw sincerity and vivid imagery. Foot Ox has previously toured with the likes of Pigeon Pit, AJJ, Sad Park, and Open Mike Eagle.

The band's forthcoming album, A Lighthouse with Silver Dog Eyes, produced and mixed by David J at Balboa Recording Studio in Los Angeles, showcases this collaborative spirit and sonic evolution, with a full string section replacing the project’s signature solo cello for a more expansive feel. With a rotating cast of notable musicians, including Sean Bonnette and Preston Bryant (AJJ), Grant Berber (Sad Park), Lee Johnson (La Luz), Andrew Dorsett (Lake), Jim Rhian (Pigeon Pit, pedal steel), and Miriam Hacksaw (fiddle), their sound shifts effortlessly from full-band energy to quiet, intimate moments, creating a deeply personal and resonant experience.

Written and recorded over several years, often during Cullen’s travels around the West, the album reflects both the past and present vibe of the American West. It pairs abstract, dreamlike narratives with a nostalgic familiarity, musically hovering at the edges of folk, country, rock, and punk without settling into any one genre.

Foot Ox will be performing on August 30 in Seattle at Bumbershoot. Additional tour dates will be announced in the coming weeks.