Daniel Johnston's famous "Hi How Are You?" mural, on west campus at The University of Texas at Austin.

Who doesn’t love a good yarn?

At Thunderhouse, we’re interested in stories of true grit, especially narratives that mix and remix all things to the South and West—where musical traditions collide, cowboy culture evolves, and artists build thriving scenes outside the coastal spotlight.

We celebrate resilience over nostalgia, working artists over celebrities, and communities that share their soul. We welcome pitches for narrative nonfiction, memoir and biography, artist profiles, and cultural reporting of all kinds, including photo essays, documentaries or docuseries, and podcasts.

Do you have a story or idea? The world deserves to hear your voice.

Please read through our guidelines before submitting—there’s more on who we are, the types of stories we publish, and a few important submission guidelines.

Thanks for being part of our larger creative community.

Guidelines

  • Thunderhouse Media connects music fans with the artists, artisans and lifestyle brands they love through stories of true grit—narratives that celebrate resilience, authenticity and the cultural threads connecting the American South and West.

    We document the contemporary landscape where roots culture meets modern creativity, where cowboy culture gets remixed, and where tradition evolves without losing its soul.

  • We’re pretty flexible when it comes to great storytelling, but five core focus areas give us a framework.


    MUSIC:
    Current scene reporting, artist profiles, venue stories, genre evolution, community impact, local music ecosystems

    What we're looking for:

    • Deep artist profiles that reveal creative process, not just biography

    • Stories about venue owners, sound engineers, booking agents, radio programmers

    • Genre-bending musicians challenging regional stereotypes

    • Music communities fighting for survival and thriving despite challenges

    • Live music culture and the spaces where it happens

    • How regional sounds influence and intersect with global music


    FILM & VISUAL ARTS
    Filmmakers, photographers, visual artists, muralists, galleries, film festivals, creative communities

    What we're looking for:

    • Artists working outside traditional art world centers

    • Creative communities building infrastructure in unexpected places

    • Film and photography documenting regional culture

    • Public art transforming communities

    • Artist-run spaces and DIY venues

    FOOD & DRINK
    Regional cuisine, working chefs, food trucks, breweries, distilleries, culinary traditions, agricultural innovation

    What we're looking for:

    • Working chefs and bartenders, not celebrity profiles

    • Regional food traditions evolving for contemporary audiences

    • Agricultural stories with culinary connections

    • Craft beverage makers rooted in regional ingredients

    • Food as cultural preservation and innovation


    TRAVEL & PLACE
    Music destinations, cultural landmarks, hidden gems, road trip routes, neighborhoods, small towns with outsized impact

    What we're looking for:

    • Places you'd want to experience, not just visit

    • Destinations defined by their creative communities

    • Regional specificity that feels universal

    • Travel stories with cultural context and insider perspective

    • Routes and regions connected by culture, not just geography


    STYLE & CRAFT
    Makers, designers, artisans, fashion, boots, hats, leather goods, home design, DIY culture

    What we're looking for:

    • Contemporary designers and makers connecting to traditional techniques

    • Style that reflects regional identity and working culture

    • Makers creating products with purpose and story

    • Design that honors heritage while pushing forward

    • Authentic, not precious

    • Modern, not nostalgic

    • Informed but relatable

    • Action-oriented with an eye for detail

    • “Party in the front, business in the back”


  • We are:

    • Music-first – Music is our primary lens for understanding culture

    • Cross-regional – We connect South and West, not just one or the other

    • Contemporary-focused – What's happening right now, who's building what's next

    • Character-centered – Stories about interesting people (or places, they can be characters, too)

    • Authenticity-obsessed – Real voices, real experiences, real impact


    We are not:

    • A nostalgia publication romanticizing "the good old days"

    • An industry trade publication for music business insiders

    • A tourism board promoting destinations without critical perspective

    • A lifestyle brand prioritizing aesthetic over substance

    • A trend-chasing publication covering what's already viral

  • What to include in your pitch:


    For Features:

    • Hook – Why this story, why now?

    • Angle – What's your specific perspective or entry point?

    • Access – Have you spoken to the subject? Do you have connections?

    • Context – Why does this story matter beyond the immediate subject?

    • Writing Sample – Link to published work or attach a relevant sample

    • Timeline – When could you deliver?


    For Shorter Pieces:

    • Concise pitch (150-250 words)

    • Key interview subjects identified

    • Timeline for completion

    Required Elements


    For All Stories:

    • Original reporting (interviews, observation, experience)

    • Factual accuracy (we fact-check everything)

    • Specific details (names, dates, places, prices when relevant)

    • Context that serves readers unfamiliar with the scene

    • Compelling narrative structure, not just information dump


    For Artist/Venue Profiles:

    • Direct quotes from multiple sources if possible, documented secondary research

    • Specific works/performances/dishes referenced

    • Venue information (address, typical schedule, price range)

    • How to experience the subject's work

    • Visual assets or photographer recommendations

Let’s collaborate.

Interested in working together? Please tell us more about your project.