10-Part Outlaw Country Documentary Series Set for SXSW World Premiere
They Called Us Outlaws, a new 10-part documentary series tracing the outlaw country movement from its Austin roots at the Armadillo World Headquarters to Nashville’s scene, will have its world…
They Called Us Outlaws, a new 10-part documentary series tracing the outlaw country movement from its Austin roots at the Armadillo World Headquarters to Nashville's scene, will have its world premiere at SXSW on March 15. The cross-genre series explores how rebellious Nashville and Austin songwriters transformed country music in the late 1960s and 1970s and examines the outlaw attitude's continuing influence on contemporary artists.
Executive producers Jessi Colter, Ray Benson, Jack Ingram, and Joe Nick Patoski guide a narrative spanning the 1960s to today, highlighting Americana beyond the 1970s outlaw era. Narrated by Jack Ingram, the series features contributions from photographer Scott Newton, actor Matthew McConaughey, and musicians including Chris Coleman, Shooter Jennings, Lillie Mae, and Bruce Robison. The pilot centers on Waylon Jennings and the early Austin scene at the Armadillo World Headquarters.
The premiere will begin with a 90-minute introduction titled "The Prologue - Waylon, The Dillo & That Bad Guy," which introduces the story of Waylon Jennings and Austin. It also highlights how important Austin was to the major changes that took place in country music and other genres during that time.
Archival interviews and performance footage with Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely, and others are featured. Materials from the project will be preserved in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's First Library and Archives.
"Eric's passion and Herculean efforts to document this important piece of Americana were key in telling the multi-layered story of Austin and Nashville through our exhibit," said Kyle Young, chief executive officer for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
He continues, "The interviews and performance footage in They Called Us Outlaws are historical gold and include invaluable commentary by central figures we've sadly lost in recent years, such as Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Fred Foster, Tom T. Hall, Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely, and more. We are pleased that these resources will be preserved in the museum's Frist Library and Archives and available to future generations of scholars and researchers."
"Considering that the tectonic shift in country music in the 1970s mostly came out of Austin, it's only fitting that the world premiere of They Called Us Outlaws would be at SXSW," says Geadelmann. "And, as an Austinite whose film career began at SXSW, the opportunity means a great deal personally."
Shadowbrook Studios launches with the series and plans more than 50 hours of programming across 2026 and 2027, including documentaries and scripted adaptations aimed at outlaw country fans and broader music audiences.
