Surrender Hill bandmates (and husband and wife) Robin Dean Salmon and Afton Seekins Salmon are, in a word, sympatico. Their connection as people and as musicians and songwriters is evident across their catalog as well as across the songs on their brand new album, “Wild Country.” Full of dusty, twangy Americana, roots rock, and, appropriately, country vibes, “Wild Country” is a tip of the hat to the beauty of a long relationship and the joy and positivity it can bring. It’s a top-notch, must-listen collection, and we sat down recently with both Robin and Afton to talk about all of the details.

Hi, Robin and Afton. Welcome back to VENTS! How has 2026 been treating you so far?

Robin Dean Salmon: First off, thank you so much for chatting with us again. 2026 has been an interesting year for us so far. Such fantastic highs and a few lows. The first couple of months brought the wrap-up of our new album (high!!!). Covid (low!!!). A trip to Cancun to play music with a pile of Texans (high!!!). Kidney Stone (low!!!). LOL. Seriously though, it has been a great year so far. The kidney stone turned out to be a month-long affair, and we can’t imagine what would have happened if all of that hit us in the middle of our tour. We are nothing but grateful for all of it. Currently, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Longmont, Colorado, with Afton, our son, Wren, and our dog, Cash. Nothing could be better.

Afton Seekins Salmon: Yeah, and I’m doing laundry!!!

You’ve blown us away yet again with your stellar new album out in August called “Wild Country.” What can you tell us about this new collection of songs? What inspired you to write these songs and record this album?

Robin: This may sound a bit light, but the first thing that comes to mind when reading this question is a happy life. We have been feeling really good about where we are in our life the past couple of years. So many of these songs are a reflection of that. There are a few that talk about some events or actions that have crossed our path, such as “River Of Angels” and “Are You Thinking of Me,” but most are songs that reflect the love and positive nature of our life together. It felt good to write about that.

Afton: With regards to “Wild Country,” I don’t think we gave much thought to making a new album. The songs just showed up in such a natural way, and before we knew it, there was a clear theme and reflection of our current situation.

Tell us a bit more about the songwriting process for these songs.

Robin: These songs came along in a very spontaneous way. We never had any sit-downs to write or anything like that. It was more like I was on a tractor mowing, and there is a song flying through the pasture, and it slapped me in the face. I would get it going and then grab Afton, and we would finish it off. Afton had several solo writes, like “The Feeling of You” and “Not Alone.” I think, in listening to these songs, you can tell by the lyric how intensely personal they are. They had to come from her own thoughts and emotions, not a co-write.

Afton: We also had an evening when we were cataloging old recordings and came across “Witness” and “Love Won’t Come Running.” These two songs were written in 2018 after Wren was born. We had no recollection of this. It was wild listening to those recordings, and the songs were complete. It was like they were waiting for this particular album. They spoke so intensely about where we are now.

What was it like working on these tracks? How did your recording process work? What was your favorite part about recording this album? What was the most challenging aspect of the recording process?

Robin: There was a lot of love and laughter in the room with this album. Of course, there was incredible frustration at times as well. I have a very distinct sound in my head for most songs, and what translates from my hands doesn’t always live up to how well it’s being performed in my mind. LOL. A couple of days working on drums with Matt Crouse is always a fun and wonderful way to start. I played most of the bass guitar and acoustic on the album, so that was my next step.

Coloring in the album was a blast. Matthew Von Doran came down and lived in our popup trailer for about two months. That was interesting! He worked on lead electric parts and textures on and off. It was nice having him there when Dennis Parker came in to work on fiddle, mandolin, and banjo parts. Dennis hung around for two days, and we laughed a whole lot. A wonderful surprise always comes from working with Mike Waldron. Mike and I have worked together for years, and we do it remotely. It’s always a treat to open up the files Mike sends and how they elevate the songs. Eric Fritsch is a longtime friend and a monster musician. He came down for a couple of days and put down B3 and some electric guitar tracks. Eric is a marvel musician and loves my cooking, so of course meals and preparing meals was a wonderful part of the adventure.

How did you come up with the album title? What made you choose it for this collection of songs?

Afton: That was an easy one. “Wild Country” is where it all started. The song is so on point of where, why, and how we met. When performing the song live, the beat, the melody, and the words come together and I can feel the energy of our life.
Robin: Yep, that’s about it right there.

Do you have a favorite song on the album, or, if not a favorite (because that can be hard to choose), is there one song that you feel the album revolves around or is the cornerstone of the release? What sets that song apart?

Robin: “Straight into the Light.” I love playing this song so much. There is nothing but joy that surrounds it. Matthew’s killer guitar part and the offset of the B3 move so well for me. The simple sentiment of the lyric is completely how my life was and is. When Afton came into my life, the light started shining. Wren also loves playing this song, so that about seals the deal for me.Afton: “The Feeling of You.” I wrote this song when Dennis Parker was working in the studio with Robin. The song poured out in one straight shot. I was thinking about the first real date Robin and I had. I played it for Robin and Dennis. They switched gears in the studio, and we recorded this song immediately with a live acoustic and vocal take. It was fresh.

How did you select the songs on the album, and is there a common thread among them?

Robin: This is always hard, but for this project, it was a little more clear. Once we had a collection of tunes going, they sort of underlined themselves in how they belonged together. The theme was pretty defined and revolved around our current life and the events in and around our life since the release of “River of Tears.”

What else do you have on tap for 2026?

Robin: We are currently on a wonderful tour and adventure. We started out on May 17 and spent five weeks in the Texas Hill Country performing, living, and loving life. Currently, we are talking to you from Colorado, and will continue on to New Mexico, Arizona, and back to Texas. Once we are back home, we are heading to Nashville to do a live in studio recording of our collection of “Texas dancehall” songs. We will have a band in the studio made up of Matt Crouse, Eric Fritsch, Mike Waldron, Mike Daly, Robin Salmon, and Afton Salmon. Wow!!! We can’t wait for this experience and we can’t wait to bring this collection of tunes to the big wide world!!! Although I hope it takes a long, long time to get there because we are having such a precious time on the road right now.