Contact: jessemalin@7smgmt.com

“Sad and Beautiful World is for the survivors, the dreamers, the leavers and the believers,” said Jesse Malin.  “My music has always been about rebirth and redemption. This record is for those who pick up the pieces and find beauty in the madness.”

The first double album of Malin’s career hits like a collection of heartfelt and eloquent short stories that never lose their dirt and swagger.  The phoenix bird could be the spiritual mascot of Sad and Beautiful World, out September 24 on Wicked Cool Records.  Forged in the wild flames of the lost pandemic year, the album follows Sunset Kids (2019), Malin’s acclaimed album produced by Lucinda Williams and Tom Overby.  

Described by Uncut magazine as a “fearless storyteller,” followers have always appreciated the many sides of Malin, from his pioneer days in the hardcore band Heart Attack to D Generation and his solo career.    Sad and Beautiful World, which takes its title from a line of dialogue in Jim Jarmusch's 1986 cult-classic film Down By Law, divides itself down the middle.  

A lyric in the song “Almost Criminal” gives the split record its theme: Roots Rock Radicals, Malin’s take on a phrase from the intersection of punk and reggae back in the day. The "Roots Rock” side leans to the sad-eyed ballads, while its companion, the "Radicals" side, roughs things up a bit.  But not everything is as black and white as the movies.  All of Sad and Beautiful World is both tough and tender, laced through with vividly drawn characters striving against circumstance and a raw emotional tenor.  The 17 songs served up here will break your heart, move your hips, and keep the lights shining.

Right before lockdown, Malin was moving fast on the heels of 2019's Sunset Kids with sold out dates in the US and UK.  The album earned a four-star review from Rolling Stone and won three Independent Music Awards.   “I took all my anxiety, fear and loneliness and began writing,” described Malin, who made the record in the fall of 2020 at Flux Studios in New York. “The sirens, the protests, riots and the darkness outside my doorstep definitely made its way in these songs.  Everything rose to a boiling point, and we found a way to get through it.”

At the heart of Sad and Beautiful World lies empathetic character sketches like "Todd Youth," which features Bad Brains' frontman H.R., a lifelong mentor to Jesse with his message of PMA (positive mental attitude), and brings a wistful voice from beyond the grave speaking to loved ones that remain – and "A Little Death," a scathing but ultimately compassionate read on a millennial brat.   Hearts are broken and hearts are full – sometimes both at once – as on the stark opener "Greener Pastures” or the rebel soul of "Dance With The System," as cool and slick as a black leather jacket.

Billie Joe Armstrong once said “New York City is the center of the universe, and there is no New York City without Jesse Malin.”  Jesse masterfully sets the scene of his beloved hometown with the autobiographical "Backstabbers," a coming-of-age tune about navigating through the city lights, blood suckers and the arcade-prowling chicken hawks.  Written in 2019, the slinky strut of "The Way We Used To Roll” now has an extra layer of meaning.  Both songs were produced by fellow roots-rock-radical Lucinda Williams, who also sings backup on “Backstabbers,” and her partner, Tom Overby.  The majority of Sad and Beautiful World was produced by Malin’s longtime guitarist Derek Cruz and Geoff Sanoff.

Throughout 2020, Malin created and produced the celebrated weekly livestream series The Fine Art of Self Distancing to keep people connected worldwide and dancing on their couches.  The show raised money for independent national venues, his band, crew and the Joe Strummer Foundation, and was named one of the best of the year by Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone.

“When I was kid in Queens, my mother had a sign over the kitchen sink with a flower or something, that said ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life.’  I still feel that way. Growing up here, you find a way to carry your dreams up from the street and out to the stars.  I try hard to keep my sense of humor, community and always find a way to dance through the flames.”

Contact: DinosaurJr@7smgmt.com
Contact: JMascis@7smgmt.com

There is nothing quite like a Dinosaur Jr. album. The best ones are always recognizable from the first notes. And even though J tries to trip us up by smearing “Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know” with keyboards, it’s clear from the moment he starts his vocals that this is the one and only Dinosaur Jr., long reigning kings of Amherst, Massachusetts (and anywhere else they choose to hang their toques).

I Bet on Sky is the third Dinosaur Jr. album since the original trio – J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph – reformed in 2005. And, crazily, it marks the band’s 10th studio album since their debut on Homestead Records in 1985. Back in the ‘80s, if anyone has suggested that these guys would be performing and recording at such a high level 27 years later, they would have been laughed out of the tree fort. The trio’s early shows were so full of sonic chaos, such a weird blend of aggression and catatonia that we all assumed they would flame out fast. But the joke was on us.

The trio has taken everything they’ve learned from the various projects they tackled over the years, and poured it directly into their current mix. J’s guitar approaches some of its most unhinged playing here, but there’s a sense of instrumental control that matches the sweet murk of his vocals (not that he always remembers to exercise control on stage, but that’s another milieu). This is headbobbing riff-romance at the apex. Lou’s basswork shows a lot more melodicism now as well, although his two songs on I Bet on Sky retain the jagged rhythmic edge that has so often marked his work. And Murph…well, he still pounds the drums as hard and as strong as a pro wrestler, with deceptively simple structures that manage to 
interweave themselves perfectly with his bandmates’ melodic explosions.

After submerging myself in I Bet on Sky, it’s clear that the album is a true and worthy addition to the Dinosaur Jr. discography. It hews close enough to rock formalism to please the squares. Yet it is brilliantly imprinted with the trio’s magical equation, which is a gift to the rest of us. For a combo that began as anomalous fusion of hardcore punk and pop influences, Dinosaur Jr. have proven themselves to be unlikely masters of the long game. Their new album is a triumph of both form and function. And it augurs well for their future trajectory. If I were prone to wagering, 
I’d say their best days are yet ahead of them. And yeah. I would bet the sky on it. --Byron Coley

Contact: crawford@7smgmt.com

Shane Smith and the Saints offer up a hard-hitting version of American roots music that’s influenced by country, folk, and roadhouse rock & roll. It’s a sound that’s been shaped by the road, where the Saints spent the past decade on tour, building a cult audience with each gig.

Thanks to early albums like 2013’s Coast and 2015’s Geronimo, Shane Smith and the Saints became a popular act in Austin, regularly cutting their teeth with marathon gigs at venues like The Stage On Sixth. Released in 2019, Hail Mary introduced the band’s current lineup, as well as a heavier sound that separated the Saints from other Texas acts. It wasn’t rock & roll. It wasn’t country, either. It was everything that connected those genres, glued together by the camaraderie of a road-tested band that built its audience the old-school way: by hitting the stage and winning over the crowd, song after song, night after night.

Their latest album, Norther, builds upon that singular sound while also highlighting the bandmates’ road-warrior chops. For an independent band like Shane Smith and the Saints, the work is never done. “It’s like you can’t help but feel like you’ve paid your dues to get to a certain spot, but once you get there, you realize you’re just starting to touch the surface of the bigger picture,” Smith admits. “At the end of the day, it still feels like we’re getting discovered. But maybe that’s what it’s all about.” Norther is the soundtrack to that discovery. It’s the sound of a band pushing its limits, broadening its reach, and expanding its audience.

Contact: mcc@7Smgmt.com

One of life’s most satisfying sensations is the click of a realization. Something blurry coming into sharp focus. 

Mary Chapin Carpenter can vividly recall just such an epiphany.

“A novel that I've loved for years is My Name is Lucy Barton, written by Elizabeth Strout,” says the singer-songwriter. “There's this moment where the main character is taking a creative writing course, and her teacher says to her, ‘You will only have one story. You will write your one story in many ways.’ I remember reading that line and taking an audible breath. In that moment, I said out loud to no one, ‘Oh, that's what the songs are.’"

Carpenter has been writing that story for nearly 40 years, enjoying commercial success through numerous hit singles and 17 million albums sold, universal critical acclaim, a bounty of awards — including five Grammy wins from 18 nominations — and the respect of multiple generations of her songwriting peers, earning herself a place as one of 22 women in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her most recent album, “One Night Lonely” from 2021, received a Grammy nod exactly 30 years after her very first nomination.   In “Personal History”, her 17th album, she presents a set of songs more autobiographical than any collection that has come before, offering songs as memoir, when the wisdom that comes from growing older becomes a north star, whether one is celebrating life’s joys or navigating life’s inevitable losses.  The title is taken from the album’s opener, “What Did You Miss.” The music is both buoyant and wistful, as she sings in her rich alto, “I’ve been walking in circles for so long/Unwinding the mystery/I’ve been writing it down song by song/As a personal history.”

The track’s blend of pandemic musings with more joyful distant memories — of steamed-up dive bar windows and late-night porch sessions — suggests what will follow, with memory, time and place guiding the narrative from a young girl’s love affair with songwriting to a woman at peace with her choices and where they have led her.  “It's not necessarily chronological,” however, she says of the album. “The sequencing traces life backwards and forwards. But every song is connected to something deeply personal.”

“Paint + Turpentine” flashes back to Carpenter’s mid-20s and 30s and a missed opportunity: an invitation from Guy Clark, a hero of hers, to sit down and write together. “It’s about finding peace with a long-held regret of mine,” she says of being too intimidated to sit with the legend.  But thankfully, “life allows you to eventually understand and accept how things turned out. Some gifts take their time.”  “Bitter Ender,” with its keening harmonica, is a self-lacerating ode to her history of dying on clearly indefensible romantic hills. “Know thyself,” says Carpenter with a laugh.   The sacred spaces offered in the natural world and the concept of our souls returning to cosmic stardust inform several songs including “Hello My Name Is”, and the enveloping “New Religion,” about the passing of someone Carpenter adored as a teenager, who helped shape her belief that “nature is my church.”

Other songs, including the moving “Home is a Song”, featuring the singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, “The Saving Things”, and the vividly sketched “Girl and Her Dog,” find Carpenter taking stock of life in various ways after passing a milestone birthday.  “Girl and Her Dog” is definitely a meditation about growing older,” she says of the tune, inspired by a salt-and-pepper-haired woman she spied in a vintage pick-up truck with her two pups while out on a walk. “As she drove by, I made up this story for her. Maybe she's a writer or a painter or a poet, and she's about to sit down at her kitchen table —which is where I like to work for myself — or work in her garden.  I think I had just turned 60 and I was casting about: What am I doing? Who do I look up to? Who do I want to be? These are questions that you would think you would have the answers to long before that age, but I'm still asking them. And I hope I’m still asking them until my last day.”

“When you're younger, you're racing around trying to figure out where you belong, what you are you good at, how do you shine. And failure is this terrifying idea. But when you're older, you realize, hopefully, that failure is your most valuable companion because it teaches you so much.”

“By the end of that walk, I had done this deeper emotional excavation, sort of a heart and soul inventory and eventually it became that song.” If songwriters are often described as craftspeople, there may not be a better example of Carpenter’s skills in this regard than “Say It Anyway”; here she takes words and phrases more aptly labeled as cliches, and creates a musical scaffolding to show their truthfulness, spirituality and utility.   Similarly, in “The Night We Never Met”, the listener is transported back in time, both musically and lyrically, to a chance meeting that only happened in someone’s imagination.

 
The recording sessions for Personal History brought Carpenter together with a mix of newer partners and longtime friends. Carpenter first encountered producer Josh Kaufman ((The Hold Steady, Bob Weir) while recording her January 2025 release Looking for the Thread, her collaboration with Scottish folk musicians Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart. “I loved that experience, and I felt like he was the right person to help me shepherd these new songs into the wider world,” she says.

The pair were joined by a coterie of musicians, veteran bandmates Duke Levine on guitar and pianist Matt Rollings, Cameron Ralston on bass and Chris Vatalaro on drums and percussion.  Returning to Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in rural southwestern England and reconnecting with Grammy-nominated engineer Katie May (Peter Gabriel, Phosphorescent, and asst engineer for Harry Styles, The 1975, and Carpenter / Fowlis / Polwart’s Looking For The Thread), Carpenter said of the sessions:  “It's such a privilege to be able be somewhere dedicated to the work at hand, where you're sharing the space, meals, hang time with everybody. When it’s time to press record, everybody's live on the floor. I've been so fortunate to work there for my last four records, and it's hard to imagine being happier anywhere else.”

The album closes on the hopeful glimmer of “Coda,” which looks back fondly on grainy childhood memories on Super 8 film, appraises the battles picked and fought, acknowledging that while all the big noise of life may not be as big and loud anymore, these new, quieter passages are just as rich as any other time than came before it,” says Carpenter. “The gratitude you have for where you have ended up brings with it the wisdom that what’s most important is to have felt loved in this life. That you've mattered to people.” A fitting coda indeed to one’s personal history.  

Contact: DenverEstate@7smgmt.com

One of the world’s best-known and best-loved performers, John Denver earned international acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian. Denver’s career spanned four decades and his music has outlasted countless musical trends and garnered numerous awards and honors.

The son of a U.S. Air Force officer, Denver’s artistic journey began at age eleven when he was given his grandmother’s guitar. Denver eventually took guitar lessons and joined a boys’ choir, which led him at age twenty to pursue his dream of a career in music.

In 1963 he struck out on his own, moving to Los Angeles to be in the heart of the burgeoning music scene. It was during this time that Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. was urged by friends to change his name if a recording career was to be in his future. He took his stage name from the beautiful capital city of his favorite state, Colorado. Later in life, Denver and his family settled in Aspen, Colorado and his love for the Rocky Mountains inspired many of his songs.

John Denver experienced his first major break in the music industry when he was chosen from 250 other hopefuls as lead singer for the popular Mitchell Trio. Two years and three albums later, Denver had honed his considerable vocal talent and developed his own songwriting style. He gained recognition when his song “Leaving On A Jet Plane” was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, becoming their first and only number one hit. As the Mitchell Trio disbanded, Denver was climbing up the pop charts as a solo act with songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Back Home Again,” “Thank God I’m A Country Boy,” and “Calypso,” solidifying his position as one of the top stars of the 1970s.

By his third album in 1970, Denver’s social and political leanings were defined more clearly. Denver was one of the first artists to share an environmental message through his music, beginning with the song “Whose Garden Was This?” This was the first in a long line of songs that he wrote about the environment.

Denver contributed his talents to the benefit of many charitable and environmental causes and received numerous civic and humanitarian awards over the years. Fans responded to his heartfelt urgings about ecology, peace, and compassion that were consistently delivered in a gentle manner on his records and at live performances.

His passion to help create a global community paved the way for ventures into new musical and geographic territories. In 1985 he was invited by the Soviet Union of Composers to perform in the USSR, inspiring the internationally acclaimed song “Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?).” The powerful video for “Let Us Begin” moved viewers around the world.

“I thought that I might be able to do something to further the cause of East/West understanding… The Russians say that the first swallow of spring won’t make the weather for the whole season, but it can mark the turn toward a warmer climate. I tried to be that swallow.”

The success of his visit lead to a concert tour of the USSR in 1986. These were the first performances by an American artist since the Cold War began – an unprecedented cultural exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union. He returned to the USSR in 1987 to do a benefit concert for the victims of Chernobyl.

Denver was also the first artist from the West to do a multi-city tour of mainland China, in October 1992. He was somewhat astonished to discover how popular and well known his songs were in China. “‘Country Roads,’” he was told, “is the most famous song written in the West.”

Denver was a true adventurer, exploring all that the world had to offer. Throughout his life’s journey he challenged himself on every level, which is an integral part of what made him an extraordinary man, an uncommon friend and a rare human being.

While the frontiers of the American West satisfied his spirit, less-traveled frontiers appealed to his imagination. Denver was an experienced airplane pilot and collected vintage biplanes. His interest in outer space was so great that he took and passed NASA’s examination to determine mental and physical fitness needed for space travel. He then became a leading candidate to be the “first civilian in space” on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Denver planned to write a song in space, but circumstances kept him from joining the ill-fated expedition, which saddened the world when it exploded during take-off in 1986.

Among his many gifts, Denver was also a talented photographer. He photographed images of the people and places he experienced in his travels and showed his work professionally, often in connection with speeches made at colleges and universities as well as government and business facilities across the country.

Many of Denver’s songs reflected his relationship with nature and indeed, one of his greatest pleasures was spending time outdoors. He spent as much time as possible backpacking, hiking, climbing and fishing. He was an avid golfer and skier, regularly participating in celebrity charity events for both sports.

John Denver died tragically in a plane crash on October 12, 1997. He was survived by his brother Ron, mother Erma and three children, Zak, Anna Kate and Jesse Belle.

On March 12, 2007, Colorado’s Senate passed a resolution to make Denver’s trademark 1972 hit “Rocky Mountain High” one of the state’s two official state songs, sharing duties with its predecessor, “Where the Columbines Grow.”

Today, millions of fans old and new enjoy the work of this extraordinary performer. Thirty albums and four decades after he began, John Denver’s music is as relevant as ever. His humanitarian work continues to strengthen our global village, and his dynamic celebration of life, spirit and nature is a powerful inspiration to us all.

Contact: bellawhite@7smgmt.com

The third album from Bella White, A Sign In The Weather is a body of work steeped in the life-altering magic of its origins. While touring in support of her widely lauded sophomore LP Among Other Things (and sharing bills with the likes of Dierks Bentley, Tyler Childers, and The Red Clay Strays), the Calgary-born singer/songwriter left her home on Vancouver Island and moved to New Orleans, where she soon became happily enmeshed in the city’s vibrant indie-rock scene. As she immersed herself in the unfettered and open-hearted creativity of her newfound musical community, the 25-year-old lifelong musician began assembling a suite of songs that stretch far beyond her bluegrass roots and arrive at a moodier and more audacious breed of folk/Americana. Made with her close-knit circle of collaborators, A Sign In The Weather both echoes the homespun nature of its creation and signals a powerful evolution in her one-of-a-kind artistry.

Co-produced by White and Ross Farbe (a New Orleans-based producer/songwriter/musician who’s also worked with Esther Rose and Drugdealer), A Sign In The Weather marks a departure from the more lavish scale of Among Other Things—a 2023 release produced by Jonathan Wilson (Angel Olsen, Father John Misty) and recorded with esteemed musicians like Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek. This time around, White joined forces with her longtime bandmate Patrick M’Gonigle (on fiddle) and local musicians like drummer Sam Gelband, bassist Gina Leslie, guitarist Nick Corson, and vocalist Maddy Kirgo, dreaming up a nuanced yet potent sound that spotlights the singular character of her enchanting vocals and graceful guitar work. Also featuring contributions from Farbe (on guitar, percussion, organ, and synth), pianist Duncan Troast, and Nashville-based pedal-steel player Nikolai Shveitser, A Sign In The Weather ultimately brings a bold new energy to the sophisticated musicality White first cultivated by taking up guitar at age eight (thanks in part to the influence of her father, a Virginia-born bluegrass musician who raised her on classic country and old-time music). 

The latest installment in a catalog that began with her 2021 debut album Just Like Leaving, A Sign In The Weather also uncovers new layers of White’s soul-searching songwriting—an element praised by major outlets like Rolling Stone and NPR (who stated that “Sometimes the minute you hear a voice, you know it’s for the ages”). “New Orleans is such a musical city, and the experience of being around a lot of songwriters in particular has been so inspiring to me,” she notes. With its subtle interplay of poetic introspection and stream-of-consciousness outpouring, the album embodies a raw urgency that stems from White’s real-time processing of a period of intense change. To that end, A Sign In The Weather takes its title from one of the first songs written for LP: “Without Making A Sound,” an in-the-moment reflection on the painful confusion of letting go and moving on. “Right around when I decided to move I also ended a relationship—it felt like a chapter of my life was closing, and I was experiencing a lot of sadness and guilt and other big feelings,” White recalls. “When I wrote that song I was traveling somewhere that’s usually very warm, but it was like the gray gloominess of the Pacific Northwest had followed me there. It felt like it brought everything full circle to make that the album title, especially because making the choice to shake up my life really opened the floodgates for all the songs to come.”

Recorded at a shotgun house near the Mississippi River, A Sign In The Weather bears an unhurried quality that immediately transports the listener into a more serene and radiant state of mind. As shown the LP’s lead single “Little Things,” the deliberate intimacy of the album-making process imbued every aspect of White’s artistry, allowing for a more direct transmission of emotional truth. Weary but wide-eyed, the softly galloping track precisely captures the many dimensions of existential paralysis. “When I started that song I was in a limbo phase where I knew I was about to go through some big changes, but they hadn’t been mapped out for me yet,” says White, who began writing “Little Things” while still living on Vancouver Island. “To me it’s very much about recognizing that you’re not doing what you need to do, but feeling stuck and overwhelmed by the thought of getting from point A to point B.”

In its lived-in meditation on impermanence and transformation, A Sign In The Weather inhabits a pensive intensity on songs like “Stuff”—a heavy-hearted look at living with your decisions, graced with free-spirited harmonies and Shveitser’s spellbinding pedal-steel work. “I went on a trip with some of my best friends, and experiencing those dynamics again made me realize how much I’d changed,” says White. “We were out drinking martinis, having a fun girls’ night, and I started sobbing at the dinner table because everything felt so different. I think ‘Stuff’ is about recognizing the changes you’ve made and processing what that means, instead of just getting caught up in the excitement of your new life.” Next, on the gritty but tender “Dream Song,” White ruminates on the often-hidden burdens of the past. “That song came from grappling with anxiety and questions of self-worth, and asking whether I’m going to carry my past experiences in relationships into this next chapter of my life,” she says. “At the same time it’s recognizing that I’m in a beautiful relationship now, and in some ways it’s the first love song I’ve ever followed through with.” 

A work of immense sensitivity, A Sign In The Weather endlessly showcases White’s gift for turning complex emotions into songs that unfold with an undeniable ease. On “False Start,” for instance, she vents her frustration at the pettiness of mindless chatter, evoking a glorious catharsis at the song’s gorgeously rambling outro. “I wrote that after the floods in North Carolina and a few other catastrophes related to climate change,” White explains. “It came from a place of feeling so sick of hearing people gossip about surface-level drama when it felt like there were more important things to talk about.” Meanwhile, the sweet and breezy “All My Friends” paradoxically emerged from a moment of restless exasperation. “I was at a music festival and felt like there was a lot of posturing going on, and I noticed how I tend to shut down in those environments,” says White. “‘All My Friends’ is about recognizing that I don’t ever want to participate in any kind of situation where I’m not being totally authentic to who I am.” And on “Pink Living Room,” White contemplates certain heartache in her past and sinks into the lovely tranquility of her current circumstances. “I was sitting in the pink living room in the house where I live now, and it was like I was in a cocoon where I felt so safe and cared for,” she says. “This pink living room felt like a physical manifestation of the gentleness I was experiencing, and the song became like a conversation where I’m telling a past version of myself, ‘Check it out—this is what it’s like now.’”

As White reveals, the journey of uprooting her life has proven to be both wonderfully disorienting and unexpectedly grounding. “Where I’m from is pretty much as far away from New Orleans as you could possibly go in North America, so it’s definitely a shock to my system sometimes,” she says. “There’s an incredible contrast between this swampy, sticky place and the mountains and the ocean back on the West Coast, and I find it really fascinating that you can feel very much at home in such different places.” And in discovering a profound sense of belonging in her new surroundings, White has unlocked a deeper understanding of her own values as an artist and musician. “I think if you have a musical community around you, people that you feel a comfort and connectivity with, there’s no need to go elsewhere or find other people to play with,” she says. “To me this album was a real labor of love and so empowering to make—it validated that I trust myself and trust my vision, and now I just want to keep doing it my way and keep working with people I believe in.”

Contact: bobbydarin@7smgmt.com

Bobby Darin’s voracious desire for show business fame was fueled by a sense that the sword of Damocles was always hanging over him. Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto on May 14th, 1936 in the Bronx to a family of very modest means. At an early age Darin developed rheumatic fever which damaged the valves of his heart. He was a frail and sickly boy, and normal stickball in the streets or roughhousing with other kids his age was just not possible for him. He was however a very bright and gifted boy and his “mother” Polly realized this early on. Polly was a Vaudeville performer in her youth and she encouraged Bobby to explore music and to read constantly. Around the house Bobby was regularly exposed to music of the great big bands and singers such as Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald. Music played a big part in the Cassotto household in Bobby’s youth. By the time he was in his early teens he could play the piano and drums. With Polly’s love and encouragement and with a deep desire to make Polly proud, Bobby began to plan and work towards his dreams. Sometimes important events in one’s life happen randomly. One day he overheard the family Doctor say to Polly that “even with the best medical treatment and luck the boy probably won’t live to see age 20.” Friends and family later theorized that this medical revelation was what fueled the brash, arrogant and intensely driven Darin to never suffer fools gladly or to waste a single moment. He was on borrowed time and he knew it.

Bobby attended the prestigious Bronx High School of Science which only very gifted students could attend. After graduation he attended Hunter College but dropped out after one semester. He concluded that college was not the path for him and he would “fight the fight in the streets to achieve his show business dreams.” He began to write songs and sing demos and hung around the famous Brill Building, which was the epicenter of music and creativity in New York City at that time. He was signed to Decca Records but was later dropped when none of the songs made an impact. He got a second chance at Atco Records, founded by the legendary Ahmet Ertegun. After a few sessions there again with no success, the executives at Atco were about to drop him from the label. Ahmet personally intervened and decided to produce some sessions with Darin. The musical gods shined on them as a session on April 10, 1958 produced a song that would go to number 3 on the charts. ”Splish Splash” was written by Darin in 15 minutes after a half-joking dare from disc jockey Murray the K Kaufman’s mother. The sickly boy from the Bronx was on his way. Other hits soon followed such as “Queen of the Hop,” and the beautiful Latin-flavored tune he wrote “Dream Lover,” which sold over a million copies and went to number 2 on the charts. With regular appearances on the Dick Clark and Ed Sullivan Shows and regular touring gigs, Darin was beginning to fulfill the dream he and Polly had mapped out.

With Darin established as a solid rock and roll star, Ahmet and the brain trust at Atco were stunned when he came to them wanting to do an album of standards in the Sinatra, Ella and Dean Martin genre. Quite simply they thought he was crazy and strongly opposed the idea. Bobby however always wanted to be an all around entertainer and he believed that rock and roll was fickle and that rock and roll singers would come and go without longevity. Darin had the courage of his convictions and made a deal with Ahmet that he would pay for the album out of the royalties that he had earned from the rock hits. The 1959 album “That’ s All” launched Bobby Darin into another level of artistry, global fame and critical acclaim. “Mack the Knife” reached number one and stayed there for 10 weeks and sold over two million copies. “Beyond the Sea” reached number 6 and may be the most well known Darin song ever due to its constant usage in movies, ads, documentaries and TV shows. Darin won a 1959 Record of the Year Grammy Award for “Mack the Knife” and a Grammy for best new artist. The album also put Darin into the adult/swing genre audience that helped elevate him from just a rock and roll singer. To see Darin on a nightclub floor was to witness a consummate performer. Liz Taylor once said “he's so comfortable on stage it’s like he's in his own living room." Ahmet sent a young Diana Ross to see Darin live to learn about how to control a room. The early 60’s saw Darin perform to sellout crowds at the most prestigious nightclubs in the country, from the Copa in New York to the Flamingo in Las Vegas. He also began to do movies. He met his future wife Sandra Dee on the film “Come September” filmed in Italy in 1960. A seven-picture deal with Paramount showcased what a fine actor he was. His gritty performance with Sidney Poitier in the film “ Pressure Point" brought critical acclaim. His role in the 1963 film “ Captain Newman M.D.” with Gregory Peck garnered him a best supporting Oscar nomination. Musically he ventured into folk/country music with songs he wrote such as “Things,” “ You're the Reason I’m Living,” and “18 Yellow Roses.” By 1964 Bobby Darin was at the pinnacle of the entertainment industry and had achieved many of the goals he had set out for himself.

When the Beatles arrived in the US in 1964 music and pop culture changed drastically. He and his peers such as Sammy, Dean, and Frank all had to adapt to the new zeitgeist. In 1964 Darin began to focus more on the business side of music with his publishing company TM music. He took a break from touring and spent more time with his family. In truth, he was also a bit afraid of the “empty seats” syndrome, which all entertainers confront at one time or another. In 1967 Darin got divorced from Sandra Dee. This was a difficult and painful period for him but it would only get worse a year later. In 1968 Bobby had become close with Senator Robert F. Kennedy and he campaigned for him actively. He was with the Senator the day before he was killed in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. This stunned Bobby to the core but an even more painful chapter was about to be revealed. RFK had spoken at length with Darin about his running for political office. Darin was serious about it and when his sister Nina and “father” Charlie heard about it they had to unearth a very dark secret. Nina and Charlie feared that if Darin got into politics the press would uncover a hidden bombshell. His beloved Polly, whom he so revered, was not his biological mother but actually his grandmother. Nina, who he had known as his sister his entire life, was actually his biological mother. This revelation emotionally scarred Darin for the rest of his life. He was angry with Nina and he felt that his whole life had been a lie. In the wake of a totally changed musical landscape, the death of RFK, and the revelation about his family, Bobby Darin sold all his possessions and moved into a trailer in Big Sur in northern California to reevaluate his life. He read voraciously, spent time with his son, and debated politics with friends who lived on the property with him. In 1968-69 he wrote and recorded two albums that covered issues such as civil rights, poverty, the Vietnam War and the death of RFK. Gone were the super polished Vegas act and the hipster swagger of a consummate showman. What replaced it was a man who was writing and singing about the issues the country was facing and what he personally was facing; turmoil. He told Dick Clark at the time that he was “lost” and that back in the day he “chose plastic when he should have chosen ethnic.” One of the songs from this period is one of Darin’s finest compositions, “Simple Song of Freedom." The tune’s lyrics insightfully spoke of a country at war with itself. Singer Tim Hardin recorded it as well and had a nice hit with it.

By 1971 Darin was facing serious health problems. Throughout the 60’s he would battle heart arrhythmias and extreme fatigue. In February 1971 he underwent open-heart surgery to put in a pacemaker. The surgery was a success and he began to reemerge into the show business world again. In addition to Vegas gigs, he appeared as a guest on many TV shows of the era including the Flip Wilson Show, The Dean Martin Show and Sonny and Cher. He began to integrate into his shows contemporary music from writers such as Laura Nyro, James Taylor and The Beatles. Audiences in the 1972-73 period saw an evolving artist who still would do the golden hits but would weave in songs about social consciousness that were relevant to the times. It also showed a more compassionate man who realized there were more important things in life than superficial show biz success. Around this time he spent a day with his son Dodd throwing away various awards and accolades from a lifetime in show business. He explained to his son that those things were meaningless to him. What a difference from the brash young singer who years earlier told Life Magazine that he “wanted to be a legend by the time he was 25.” Darin was determined to not to be an old rocker or Vegas hipster simply to be trotted out for retirement conventions. In 1972 he got his own weekly variety show on NBC, which ran through 1973. He also had a regular gig at the prestige venue of the time, The Las Vegas Hilton which was home to Elvis and Barbra Streisand. He had signed a deal to open the new MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas in January of 1974. The 27-week 3-year deal was his "insurance policy” financially so if he were too ill to work later he would be solvent. Things were on the upswing for Bobby Darin after the tumultuous and deeply troubling times of 1967-68.

In early 1973 Darin was again having severe heart arrhythmias and exhaustion. The finest Doctors of the day could not find the cause. After wrapping his NBC TV show in May 1973 and then closing for the final time at the Las Vegas Hilton in August 1973, Bobby Darin went to LA to rest and try and get better. On December 20th, 1973 he underwent exploratory open-heart surgery. The Doctors found a massive infection in his heart and he died hours after the surgery. He left his body to medical research in the hope he could help other people. He was 37 years old.

Bobby Darin left an indelible mark on the music industry and world of entertainment in his brief 37 years. From his early rock and roll hits, to his swinging interpretations of the great American Songbook, to his later forays into folk and country; he did it all and did it with conviction and passion. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1999, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. His life was portrayed in the 2004 feature film “Beyond the Sea” for Lions Gate entertainment. The 1998 PBS documentary “Beyond the Song” told his story in a poignant way with interviews from his peers, friends and family woven with footage of him performing. There have been five books written about his life. Because Darin ventured into so many different genres, critics and sometimes the public had a hard time defining him or fully appreciating his talent. However, his work may best be understood in this quote from Neil Young given to LA Times journalist Robert Hilburn in 1990 “I used to get so mad and frustrated with Darin because he kept changing his musical style. Only later did I realize what a genius he was.”

In 2018 “Dream Lover” The Bobby Darin musical broke box office records in Melbourne, Australia and won a Helpmann award, the equivalent to a Tony Award in the US. Plans are underway for a Darin musical on Broadway.

The length of a man’s life is not what is important but rather what he leaves behind. Bobby Darin left us an amazing body of work that has stood the test of time and will be enjoyed forever.

Contact: Luceromusic@7smgmt.com 

The search for one’s identity is a lifelong process that every individual must go through. Who someone is today, is not the person they were yesterday nor who they may be tomorrow. Despite those changes, there is a general idea of a defined sense of self. No matter what happens, it is that small yet solid and grounding definition of self that continues to drive us forward in our search for identity and whatever may come with it.

It would be difficult to find any artist who understands that better than the band Lucero.

Since forming in Memphis in the late 90’s, Lucero’s base musical hallmarks have remained similar to the band’s initial sound established with their first record The Attic Tapes. In the history of their expansive discography, Lucero has evolved and embraced everything from southern rock to Stax-inspired Memphis soul, whilst simultaneously maintaining their distinctive sonic foundations. Over 20 years later, dedicated fans of the group still flock to hear the band’s punchy driving rhythms, punk-rooted guitar licks, and lyrics that evoke the whiskey drenched sentimentality of Americana singer-songwriters. As expected of any band built to survive, Lucero has welcomed change over the course of their career, but it has always been on their terms.

The band’s twelfth album, Should’ve Learned by Now, began its life as hardly more than some rough demos and lingering guitar parts. These pieces that were left behind from the band’s previous albums, Among the Ghosts (2018) and When You Found Me (2021) were deemed too uptempo and capering for the prior records’ darker themes.

“I had a particular sound I was looking for on each record and there was no room for any goofy rock & roll or cute witticisms or even simply upbeat songs,” said primary lyricist and frontman, Ben Nichols. “But now finally, it was time to revisit all of that stuff and get it out in the world. That’s how we got to the appropriately-for-us-titled album Should’ve Learned by Now. The album is basically about how we know we are fuckups and I guess we are ok with that.”

The band, comprised of all its original members (which in addition to Ben Nichols, includes Brian Venable on guitar, Roy Berry on drums, John C. Stubblefield on bass, and Rick Steff on keys) teamed up for a third time with producer and Grammy Award-winning engineer and mixer, Matt Ross-Spang. Lucero began the recording process in Sam Phillips Recording Service before transitioning and finishing the record in Ross-Spang’s newly opened Southern Grooves Productions in Memphis, TN. Ross-Spang appears to have settled in with the band’s more trademark sound whilst very much making his touch known to listeners.

“He knows how to take the sounds we’re making on our own and just kind of polish them up in the right way. Or dirty it up in the right way. Whatever it takes, he just kind of does it,” says Nichols.

The first track from the album “One Last F.U.” is a punchy and somewhat combative song which was one of the original remnants of Among the Ghosts. Despite its title, “One Last F.U.” is less about standoffishness and more a self-reflection on the kind of people we are capable of being in difficult situations. According to Nichols “The rest of the song was simply about wanting to be left alone while I drank at the bar. That could be taken in a kind of grumpy/antagonistic way, but I feel ok singing the song because I’ve been both characters in the song at different times. Sometimes I’m the one wanting to be left alone and sometimes I’m the drunk one blabbing all night to someone that just wants to be left alone.” Right off the bat, Nichols’ vocals are awash in rock and roll slap-back reverb. The effect pushes Nichols' naturally upfront vocals wider, so they fill the space in a manner more akin to a live performance. It’s one of a few new production effects that extend throughout the record and add a new level of presence and attitude to the band’s sound.

The second track, “Macon if We Make It”, was inspired by the band having to traverse through Georgia during a hurricane. When asked where the next stop on the tour was, the band responded with, “Macon, if we make it.” Continuing to be reminiscent of older works, “Macon if We Make It” has echoes of the band’s 2009 album 1372 Overton Park. The song is really driven by guitarist Brian Venable’s formidable electric guitar. The lyrics seem at first to be mostly preoccupied with a literal storm situation at hand but turn out to be more about a troubled relationship back home. The proverbial dam breaks when the narrator sings “I don’t know if we were in love. I just know it wasn’t enough. Got caught in the storm and the water it’s rising…” The song gives way to a powerful drum lead up by Roy Berry and the listener is carried out, like a raft, on a ripping guitar solo.

The pushes and pulls, builds and breakdowns are all over the album’s subsequent tracks, but it isn’t all hard-edged rock and roll all the time. “She Leads Me”, is inspired somewhat by the classic tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, and delves into a softer and more nostalgic sound. With backing vocals supplied by Jesse Davis and Cory Branan, it’s a song that lyrically rests on the concept that we sometimes need to recognize and acknowledge our past for a gentle enough reassurance to move forward.

The rest of the album dives right back into its more rock and roll songs with “At the Show” and “Nothing’s Alright”, both of which examine the highs and lows of remembering old loves, reminiscing on the old days, and contented introspection. Aspects which finally come to a head in the album’s title track “Should’ve Learned by Now”, a rough and edgy song that tackles the fact that all the lessons, though clearly recognized, have yet to sink in. Quite poetically, the song is set to a tune that may be the greatest call back to Lucero’s punk upbringing.

From its original Ben Nichols-designed cover art to its credits, the album is a reflection of a band that knows itself. Should’ve Learned by Now bridges the gap musically between “old Lucero” and “new Lucero” in a manner which affixes the band’s position as the perfect intersection of punk initiative with hard-earned artistry. It’s an album that recognizes the past in its sound and content, but leaves the door wide open to the future and for the lessons still in store.

Contact: hayescarll@7smgmt.com

Hayes Carll isn’t preaching or teaching. He’s not interested in telling the rest of us what to do or think. But he is charting out a personal guide for his life, quieting the noise, and sitting with his real voice - the one that’s candid, consistent, and often inconvenient.

We’re Only Human is Carll’s tenth album. Like his best lyrics, it is also an understated masterpiece, an honest snapshot of one man’s confrontation and delight with humanity’s biggest and most intimate questions. Where do we find forgiveness for ourselves and grace for others? How do we hold on to peace of mind and stay present? What can we—and should we––trust? And how can we moor ourselves to, well, ourselves, in the midst of confusing, trying times? We’re Only Human offers audiences the chance to listen to Carll as he listens to himself.

“I’ve lived outside of myself for so long,” Carll admits. “Distractions, fear, anxiety, insecurity, and the complexity of being human in this world have so often pulled me away from being present or at peace.”

“I feel like there’s been a voice riding shotgun all my life, pushing me to do better, but I’ve struggled to listen to it,” Carll says. “The idea behind this record was to do the personal work I needed to do, then codify those lessons in song to serve as sort of breadcrumbs to get me back on the trail if, and inevitably when, I get lost again.”

Carll is more than two decades into a celebrated career. Praise from places such as Pitchfork and the New York Times––the latter of which yoked Carll’s ability to tackle tough issues with wry humor to Bob Dylan––punctuate a resume that includes Americana Music Awards and a Grammy nomination. His songs aren’t safe, but many of Nashville’s stars have recorded them, including Kenny Chesney, Lee Ann Womack, and Brothers Osborne. As a solo recording artist, Carll has long-since established himself as one of Americana’s most-played––and most loved––voices. His warm but crackling vocals, wit, and heart dance through wordplay that’s always clever, and never too precious. Through it all, whenever Carll points a finger, it’s most often at himself.

As We’re Only Human collects moments of Carll figuring out how to be with himself, the songs feel forthright, hopeful, and timely. In today’s onslaught of instant gratification, rage-baiting headlines, glorified intolerance, and falling empathy, the record is a startling outlier: an artist’s raw, real-life effort to live well—both with himself and others. Carll embraces private epiphanies, and shares them with the world, allowing them to unfold for all to see and share.

Of course, We’re Only Human is also art. So while appreciating the motivation and compelling themes driving it will underpin the listener’s experience, Carll’s album also matters because of the sheer brilliance of its execution. These are songs composed by a writer’s writer, wielding his considerable skill with precision and beauty.
 
The album’s title track unfolds with plaintive piano and a mantle of grace. Carll sings, with a calming sincerity, “We’ll do most anything to avoid the pain / Hiding our hearts and casting the blame / 6,000 tongues, but we’re all the same / Ain’t no need to carry that shame / ‘Cause we’re only human.”

Hard-won minutes of quiet clarity inspired some of the record’s most beautiful moments. Accented by bright mandolin and soft, simple percussion, “Stay Here a While” captures a peaceful reprieve from a racing mind. “I remember sitting on the couch, looking out the window, watching the birds do their thing,” Carll says with a laugh. “I got lost in their lives for a moment, and it was such a wonderful feeling because my mind is always going in circles, seeking excitement, and frankly, just thinking about myself. I enjoyed the peace I felt in that moment and I thought, this is lovely and I’d like to stay in this place.” Carll shared that takeaway with MC Taylor, aka Hiss Golden Messenger, who not only could relate, but helped finish the song. 

“High” offers another invitation to stop and breathe. Opening with a solo horn, flute, and stripped down piano, the track is lovely and sincere, with Carll’s signature humor hovering comfortably nearby. There are also times when Carll’s sharp wit comes roaring to the foreground. “Progress of Man (Bitcoin and Cattle)” sends up society’s disorienting––and conflicting––forces, while “Good People (Thank Me)” is a masterclass in comedic timing, stubborn humanism, and the untapped potential of gratitude. 

A dogged insistence on acceptance, both of one’s self and others, courses through the album— as does Carll’s determination to hold himself accountable. “If I’m judging others, then I’m not having to look at myself,” Carll says. “I’m flawed as hell, judgmental, and critical of myself and those around me. That’s a loop that feeds itself. But I figure If I can look at myself clear-eyed and acknowledge my own shortcomings, it might help me have some grace and acceptance for myself and others.” 

It’s that sort of harmonious duality––embracing one’s self and confessing one’s own mistakes––that solidifies the record’s big-hearted honesty. “The creative process was in large part a self-therapy session. I don’t think that would work if I was only looking at everyone else’s issues,” Carll says.

A moving series of grounding vignettes, realizations, and self-love roll through “What I Will Be,” as Carll promises to not compromise himself to fit in. A slow-burning, blues-tinged standout, “I Got Away with It” is painful and gorgeous. Brimming with hope, “One Day” balances the work Carll sees as necessary with the certainty that satisfaction, contentment, and peace are reachable by trusting in yourself and the universe.

Featuring a parade of Carll’s longtime friends, album closer “May I Never” is a plea to himself. As Ray Wylie Hubbard, Shovels & Rope, Darrell Scott, Nicole Atkins, and The Band of Heathens’ Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi each take verses, listeners are swept up in a resolute promise to keep after good. “It brings up a lot for me when I hear them singing those lines,” Carll says. Each of those people - whether they know it or not - have played a part in my story, and it’s gratifying and humbling to me to have them lend their voices to this song.”

In the end, Carll’s latest album is a lovingly and purposefully written collection of reminders. “I hope other people find something in it, too” Carll says. “Through it all, I am trying to stay appreciative, knowing that I did what I set out to do: write something that can help me navigate this journey with a little more grace and peace.”

Contact: soulcoughing@7smgmt.com

The four members of Soul Coughing have said it again and again to audiences, fans, and journalists: We will not reunite. Stop asking. Well, you might want to pose that question one more time, because the tune has changed.

Mike Doughty (vocals/guitar), Mark degli Antoni (keyboards/sampler), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), and Yuval Gabay (drums) formed Soul Coughing in 1992 after meeting at New York’s Knitting Factory, where Doughty worked the door. A truly eclectic collection of musicians, the guys merged drum & bass, trance, rock & roll, and hip-hop to create a totally unique strain of music. As Doughty says: “Our music didn’t fit into the landscape then and it doesn’t now. We were super incorrect. We were messy. We were all over the place. There were moments in our career where we tried to be less different, and we always failed.” And thank God for that.

Contact: schwartz@7smgmt.com

Hiss Golden Messenger is the long-running musical project led by North Carolina-based singer, songwriter, and producer M.C. Taylor. The project has evolved over the last decade into one of the most respected and celebrated in contemporary Americana, blending folk, country, soul and gospel influences with deeply introspective, poetic, and conscious songwriting.

Across multiple critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated albums, Hiss Golden Messenger has become known for its warmth and emotional clarity, as well as Taylor’s ability to connect the personal and poetic with the political without losing intimacy or musical grace.

The forthcoming I’m People continues this trajectory, offering a reflective collection of songs that speaks to resilience, community, radical hopefulness, and the quiet human moments that animate and illuminate the everyday. It is among Taylor’s greatest and most profound work.

Hiss Golden Messenger sits naturally alongside artists and releases that value craft, storytelling, and authenticity, and aligns well with audiences attuned to indie, folk, Americana, roots, and contemporary country music.

Contact: milow@7smgmt.com

Milow is the alias of Belgium-born singer/songwriter Jonathan Vandenbroeck, a mysterious moniker chosen at random to be the auteur of a body of music that sees the release of his seventh and latest studio album, Nice to Meet You. All of them, from his 2006 debut The Bigger Picture, which produced one of his biggest hits in “You Don’t Know,” have been self-released on his own Homerun Records as a truly independent DIY artist who follows his own muse.


“As someone used to responding to crisis situations, I was prepared when the pandemic arrived,” says Milow, who was surrounded by musical instruments as a child, picking up the accordion, guitar and piano in short order, writing his first song in English at 15. “This was something I recognized. Though it might seem like the worst time to make music, it turned out to be the best time for me. When things are at their most difficult, that’s when it gets easier and I’m at my most creative.”

Nice to Meet You was recorded with live musicians – including his longtime guitarist/ touring partner Tom Vanstiphout – at Brussels’ famed ICP Studios, with members of the band camping out in a bubble, eating meals together and sleeping on the premises. A greeting to the outside world – the title track is a paean to being a father to his two kids, 7 and 4 years old – the album is the perfect antidote for a world slowly emerging from the last two years of pandemic.

“After the last two years, I didn’t want to make a solitary album by myself,” confesses Milow. “I needed that energy to feed off, that interaction, camaraderie, feedback. Not just from producers, but the musicians, too. We were all happy to see each other and catch up.”

From the very first track, “Whatever It Takes,” a glorious homage to the thump of Motown bassist James Jamerson’s beat and the glorious ‘80s harmonies of Daryl Hall and John Oates, the album offers a vibrant, upbeat return to normalcy. The hook-laden, melodic pop includes the first single, “How Love Works,” about the trials and tribulations of relationships (with a stunning video directed by fellow Belgian Cecilia Verheyden), along with the Flamenco guitars and Moorish flavor of “ASAP,” a world music track about the responsibilities of friendship that channels the classic James Taylor/Carole King song, “You’ve Got a Friend.”



Other numbers, like the self-deprecating “Guinness Book of Records,” where the lovelorn narrator brags of setting the world mark for someone who “fucked it up a thousand times,” or the twin tributes to pop culture phenomena both created in 1981 -- the same year Milow, now 40, was born -- the ode to the Japanese video game “Donkey Kong,” and the breezy Motown rhythms of “DeLorean,” the homage to the ultimate underdog car featured in Back to the Future.

“I thought it was the right time for some lighthearted songs rather than any heavy introspection,” explains Milow. “I’m proud that I was able to get these 12 songs out of the last two years, making something positive out of difficult times. And that’s the way I look at life. In a crisis, I get a certain focus and see more clearly what I must do.”

But not all is pop hooks and sing-along choruses. The death of Milow’s longtime drummer Oscar Kraal during Covid from a battle with pancreatic cancer led to the title track, a rare contemplation on Milow’s relationship with his two children, in the wake of the two teenage kids left behind by the 50-year-old musician’s death, with the album’s closer, “Oscar,” serving as Milow’s musical eulogy to his friend.

“It was all about tearing these walls I had built around me,” says Milow, who referenced his own father as a rather distant presence in his childhood, along with his own vow to be a better parent. “Every album I’ve made is about leaving my comfort zone. The bravest thing I could do was write about something I didn’t have the courage to face before. I wanted to break the cycle I experienced with my own father, while acknowledging I have as much to learn from my kids as they do from me. I never wanted people to see that vulnerability before.”

Milow’s seven previous albums represent an ongoing dialogue with his audience, one that he may begin, but is soon picked up by his many followers around the world.

“My albums are like journals, diaries of that particular time in my life,” says Milow. “More people may discover me in the U.S., but I don’t want to attach my own happiness to making it there. One country won’t affect my career. I still get inspired to write songs that everyday people can relate to, rather than the life of a touring musician or rock star. That’s my role.”

Like his nod to the “DeLorean,” Milow appreciates maintaining the peculiarities of being an artist from Belgium.

“I can identify with that mentality of creating something independently and against all odds,” he says about maintaining his continental European focus. “The music scene is much more eclectic over here, from the festival lineups to radio. I love the freedom I have as a singer/songwriter to play many different genres.”

On Nice to Meet You, Milow does just that, renewing that relationship and inviting anyone and everyone who wants to join him. With a brave new world of streaming breaking down barriers of country and genre, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Milow add more fans – and territories -- to his ever-expanding reach.

Contact: isaacslade@7smgmt.com

Isaac Slade is a nationally acclaimed American musician and songwriter, best known as the former frontman of the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum band The Fray. Slade is recognized for his emotionally resonant voice and introspective songwriting that helped define the sound of a generation, with chart-topping hits that continue to resonate globally.

Beyond performance, Slade is a trusted voice in the national conversation, reflecting a lifelong commitment to using his platform for meaningful connection and change, spanning socially responsive initiatives, artistic mentorship, and coalition-building. Slade’s work reflects a powerful intersection of artistry, leadership, and a lifelong belief in the unifying force of music and the transformative power of the arts.

Contact: alecshaw@7smgmt.com

Alec Shaw is a singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist originally hailing the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. Drawing from a rich palette of gospel, Appalachian folk, soul, and indie pop, Shaw creates music that is both deeply spiritual and emotionally raw—bridging traditional roots with modern textures in a voice reminiscent of Otis Redding and Jeff Buckley.

Shaw’s musical journey began early, guided by the influence of his father, a gospel musician, who gifted him his first guitar at the age of 11. He spent his formative years immersed in both the sacred sounds of the church and the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, which continue to inform the natural, reverent quality of his work.

His breakout full-length album, Quantity (2022), marked a significant evolution in his sound—fusing introspective lyricism with lush production. The record featured standout tracks like “Spinning,” which led to a live performance on Seattle’s legendary indie station KEXP.  Shaw is known for his commanding yet vulnerable live shows. 

Beyond his solo work, Alec is also a sought-after producer and collaborator, having worked on numerous projects for fellow artists. Whether on stage or in the studio, Alec Shaw is an artist of emotional depth, musical integrity, and quiet boldness—carving a path that’s uniquely his own while inviting listeners into something both intimate and expansive.

Contact: BaykerBlankenship@7smgmt.com

Nineteen-year old Bayker Blankenship from Livingston, Tennessee has had one heck of a few months, going from playing his first home town gigs to signing his first record deal and going viral with his first hit “Maxed Out" in a short amount of time. “Maxed Out” is hitting new peaks at such an incredible speed- to name a few, it reached #2 on the Spotify Viral charts, #43 on Apple Country, and has over 100k creates on TikTok. Bayker has garnered over 40M+ streams in just a few months. “Maxed Out” highlights Bayker as one of Country’s rising stars, with fans falling for his bright personality and warm heart along the way. Bayker's debut EP “Younger Years" released in July 2024, hitting over 4M+ streams the first week and making it obvious he is far from a one-hit wonder.

Contact: deertick@7smgmt.com

The ninth studio album from Deer Tick, Coin-O-Matic casts a bright light on a little-known facet of the American mythos: the hidden histories of the band’s home state of Rhode Island, where the everyday dramas of working-class families long collided with the menace of the mafia underworld. As they tapped into their infinite fascination with that strange duality, singer/guitarist John McCauley, guitarist/singer Ian O’Neil, drummer/singer Dennis Ryan, and bassist Christopher Ryan assembled a batch of songs exploring desperation, grief, redemption, and resilience with both cinematic detail and lived-in emotionality. A sharp new turn from one of indie-rock’s most enduringly vital forces, Coin-O-Matic arrives as a complicated love letter to a way of life slowly slipping from the collective memory. 

The follow-up to Emotional Contracts (hailed by Uncut as one of 2023’s best albums), Coin-O-Matic takes its title from a cigarette-vending-machine company that served as the headquarters of Raymond Patriarca—a legendary mobster who ran one of the most ruthless crime families in U.S. history. “If you grew up in Rhode Island years ago, you’d see all these mobsters on the news and then run into them at a restaurant on Federal Hill,” says McCauley, referring to Providence’s version of Little Italy. “They were criminals but also very colorful characters, and I wanted the album to partly reflect a certain nostalgia for that kind of seediness.”

Recorded at Deer Tick’s home studio, Coin-O-Matic marks their first self-produced album in their two-decade-plus lifespan, during which they’ve enlisted A-list producers like Dave Fridmann (a Grammy-winner known for his work with The Flaming Lips and Spoon). “At first it was daunting not to have that extra ear in the studio, but it felt like the right time to peel off the Band-Aid and fully trust ourselves,” says O’Neil. “Since we were working in our own space and there weren’t any limitations on time, we had the freedom to take these four-guys-in-a-room rock songs and experiment with different ways of decorating them.” Featuring guest musicians like Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin (on baritone saxophone) and former Deer Tick member Rob Crowell (on organ), Coin-O-Matic frequently brings a live-wire immediacy to their finespun storytelling. “We’ve never been so comfortable making a record, and I think you can feel that in the performances,” says Dennis, who engineered the LP. “We weren’t beholden to anyone else’s idea of what Deer Tick sounds like, and because of that this album feels like an unfettered capturing of who we are as a band.”

Centered on a series of vignettes that merge personal memory and extravagantly nuanced fiction, Coin-O-Matic opens on “Dog Years”—a quietly devastating track that begins in folky intimacy before building to a sorrowful catharsis. In dreaming up the song’s storyline, McCauley looked back on an assisted-living facility near his childhood home, where his own grandfather spent the final years of his life. “The main character of ‘Dog Years’ is based on the guys I used to watch playing chess outside that building or hanging out at the bus stop, smoking cigarettes and shooting the shit,” says McCauley. “I imagined an older gentleman losing his partner and that loss accelerating his aging—almost like he was doing seven years of damage with every passing year.” 

Deeply informed by the singular experience of growing up Irish-Catholic, Coin-O-Matic next jolts into the ramshackle jangle-pop of “Mary Singletary” and its tender but irreverent tale of interfaith teenage lust. “Most of the stories on the album are from my parents’ generation and the generation before that, when the idea of a Catholic and a Protestant getting together was very scandalous,” says McCauley. “With that song in particular, I liked the idea of writing about Catholic guilt and pre-marital sex and adding in a little bit of Looney Tunes-style violence—sometimes as a young Catholic boy, I did imagine a vengeful God cutting me down in a cartoonish kind of way.”

Graced with all the grit and warmth of a classic heartland-rock anthem, “ACI” channels a raw desolation and its first-person portrait of a man imprisoned at the Adult Correctional Institutions outside Providence. “When we were working on the album, I used to drive past the ACI a couple times a week and think of all the stories I’ve heard about the mobsters who ended up there,” says McCauley. “That song started with us throwing ideas around in soundcheck, and over time I realized it was meant to be a prison song about the getaway driver of a robbery gone wrong.” Later, on “Exit Door,” Coin-O-Matic inhabits a gut-punching melancholy as Deer Tick depict an ex-con’s return to a world he barely recognizes. “I pictured someone who’s maybe in his 70s, and he’s getting out of prison and all his favorite restaurants are gone, everything’s completely different now,” says McCauley. “On one level it’s a celebratory moment of getting your freedom back, but I imagine it’s also really unsettling and confusing for a lot of people.”  

Lending a more intimate layer to Coin-O-Matic’s underlying theme of impermanence, “Everything Born” finds O’Neil taking the lead and delivering a bittersweet meditation on the inextricable nature of love and grief. “I started that song pretty soon after my son was born, and I was thinking about how anything that comes into existence will eventually be lost and therefore mourned,” says O’Neil, who now has a seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter. “It’s tough to view the world through that lens, but I wanted to write a song for my children that also speaks to that feeling of precariousness.” Another look at the delicate arc of life and love, “Candy Cigarettes” closes out Coin-O-Matic with a gorgeously devastating love song partly inspired by a local monument to those who died in the 1981 hunger strike (a protest of British policy against Irish political prisoners). “It’s a song about childhood sweethearts, one of whom comes from Northern Ireland and maybe has a family connection to one of the hunger strikers,” McCauley explains. “There’s some allusions to recent Irish history but in a very subtle way—mostly I wanted to write a pro-immigrant song, and a song about a love that lasts an entire lifetime.”

In its soulful contemplation of recklessness and consequence, longing and devotion, Coin-O-Matic ultimately joins the canon of rock albums whose geographically rooted storytelling reveals deeper truths about the human experience. “I think there’s something universal in stories of regret and loss and poor decisions, even if they’re told through the lens of all the odd characters in this little state of ours,” O’Neil points out. “One of the reasons I wanted us to make this album is that I think Rhode Island deserves to be a contender for a place that people sing about,” McCauley adds. “Sonically there’s nothing country about it, but to me it almost feels like a country record set in an urban environment—there’s definitely some outlaws in there. I hope that people see themselves in it, and that they understand a little more about the place that we come from.”

Contact: jobiriccio@7smgmt.com

Jobi Riccio is an artist known for her vulnerable vocal delivery, compelling live performances, and her powerfully intimate yet universal lyricism. Riccio is stepping into her next chapter with Face The Feeling, her forthcoming album on Yep Roc Records due May 15. An “Emerging Act of the Year” nominee from the Americana Music Association, Riccio first broke through with her 2023 debut Whiplash, a coming-of-age record rooted in folk and country traditions. On Face The Feeling, she pushes far beyond those foundations, embracing a bolder, electric, indie-rock-driven sound that mirrors the album’s emotional depth.

Where Whiplash captured the restless search for escape, Face The Feeling finds Riccio choosing to stay, confronting grief, rage, self-doubt, desire, and devotion head-on. Written between Colorado and Nashville and co-produced with longtime collaborators Isaiah Beard and Jesse Timm, the album balances light and dark, restraint and release, as Riccio leans into discomfort as a path toward growth. Songs like “Pilar, NM,” “Wildfire Season,” and “Doesn’t Matter” reveal an artist willing to sit inside complicated feelings rather than outrun them.

Having performed at the Grand Ole Opry, made her national television debut on CBS Saturday Morning, and toured with Lucius, Jason Isbell, and Iron & Wine, Riccio arrives at Face The Feeling with clarity and confidence. The result is her most expansive work yet: a fearless excavation of self and a declaration of artistic evolution.

Contact: tdm3@7smgmt.com

Contact: theolawrence@7smgmt.com

Theo Lawrence has been making a name for himself as France's favorite songbird.

A truly one-of-a-kind Country singer and genuine keeper of the flame, Lawrence came into his own on his Austin-made 2023 LP release, Cherie, and on his latest all acoustic album, Pickin’ & Singin’.

Lawrence pens classic love songs, and delivers with a croon straight out of the Charlie Rich and Ray Price golden years. In recent years, he has played a pivotal role in reviving an interest for Country Music in Europe, and with his recent move to Austin, TX, Theo Lawrence is bringing his honed craft back to its American cradle.

Contact: Nate@7smgmt.com

Mike Doughty, former Soul Coughing frontman, has released 11 albums in the 21st Century, from Haughty Melodic to The Heart Watches While the Brain Burns. and are preparing a third. Doughty’s biblical oratorio Revelation was staged by WNYC at The Greene Space. Doughty has published two critically acclaimed memoirs, The Book of Drugs and I Die Each Time I Hear The Sound. He has posted a new song on his Patreon page weekly since 2015.

His new band, Ghost of Vroom, have put out two albums produced by Mario Caldato Jr, performed improvised-music residencies in LA and Brooklyn last year and are preparing to release a third album.

Contact: failaci@7smgmt.com

After College, Luke Faillaci sat with the four years’ worth of music he recorded in his college bedroom. In that pile sat Fai Laci’s first EP ‘Conversation,’ which included the songs “Five" and "Gypsy Lover” both now with millions of streams. As those songs gained traction and the urgency to carve out a place in the Boston music scene grew, Luke pulled together his closest and most dedicated friends—Michael Goldblatt, Zack Putnam, Cal Hamandi, and Anthony Cervone—to officially form Fai Laci. 

After the release of their second independent EP “Knock at my Door” in early 2024, with zero social media presence and no real plan other than to make great music, the band started to get noticed by a growing number of fans. As the band accidentally ignored outreach from the music industry, a particularly motivated and established manager called the band expressing interest in working with them. As soon as the call ended, Luke turned to the others and declared, “fuck it I’m quitting my job.” The next day, he put in his two weeks’ notice, and soon after, the rest of the band followed suit.

It’s all so new for Fai Laci but for now, the band spends all their time writing, recording, rehearsing and playing live shows in the Northeast. The band is working toward their debut album which they are recording for Easy Eye Sound. Until then, make sure to find Fai Laci on your favorite streaming site and at a show near you.

"Rock and Roll is fucking powerful. It shakes the floor and tears down every wall between you and the strangers screaming next to you. We’re doing this because we crave that lost sense of real community—something that’s been drowned out by formulaic, force-fed noise. We just want to create, share, learn, and feel. This is about making the music we want to hear.” – Luke

Contact: williamclarkgreen@7smgmt.com

In the proudly independent Texas-country scene, it’s not easy to separate yourself – or to evolve once you have. But for almost 15 years, William Clark Green has done both with a nod to his home state itself, both rooted in the past and barreling toward the future.

Boasting sandpaper vocals and country-rock sound at the crossroads of back-alley grit and gravel-road grace, the Flint, Texas, native emerged like many others before – sauntering out from Lubbock’s live music loving college-bar scene. But he has since carved a space that is uniquely his own. Pairing singer-songwriter tradition with a progressive musical mindset, he’s both a troubadour of troubled souls and maestro to lyrical mischief, renowned for underdog anthems filled with sardonic wit, vivid characters and even historical curiosity.

Over five previous albums, multiple Number Ones on Texas Regional Radio have joined iTunes Country Album chart toppers, the respect of critics and peers and a vibrant touring profile anchored on Texas’ biggest stages. But even after so much success, two years of treading water left Green looking to get beyond his comfort zone.

“My whole mentality is that if my voice went out tomorrow, or I lost my arm and my career ended, I’ve got nothing but gratefulness,” Green explains, flashing his signature sense of dark humor. “But in some ways, we wanted to reach and see what else is out there. I think the band is ready, I think I’m ready, and it’s not really about money or anything. It’s about feeling that high again, feeling that new-ness.”

Returning with Baker Hotel, his sixth studio album and first in almost four years, Green goes after that new-ness with an open mind, and the thoughtful approach of roots-rock poet. Just as each album before it, he continues mixing Lone-Star mythos into his storytelling, this time occupying an abandoned monument to the past in Mineral Wells, Texas. But as he hinted above, Baker Hotel takes his craft to new heights. Even for an artist who’s fans expect the unexpected, it finds Green raising his game to the proverbial penthouse suite.

Featuring 13 tracks and the return of producer Rachel Loy (Rose Queen, Ringing Road), the set taps everything from lush ‘80s pop to classic highway rock and traditional Western balladry, as Green seeks out new sonic connections – and probes deeper into his soul than ever. The set arrives after a grueling 2019 tour which featured more than 170 shows, then the isolation of a pandemic shutdown, and it’s that push and pull of burnout, creative detox and almost-meditative rejuvenation that drives the project – all captured through the eyes of a deadpanning interstate philosopher.

“Songwriting is such a weird deal for me, because everything I write about is true,” Green admits. “What this record means to me is self-reflection, realizing that I just turned 35 and it’s like ‘Where am I at in life? Where do I want to be? Where did I think I would be?’ Not being able to work, I had a lot of time to sit and think about myself, and what’s really locking me down, and that’s what I think this record is about.”

The title track best captures the dual nature of that growth. Waiting until early 2021 to record, Green gathered a small group in his guitar player’s Texas home studio – his first in-state recording since 2010’s Misunderstood – and they simply let the spirit move them. 

Co-written by Green with Ross Copper and Dean Phillips, “Baker Hotel” checks in with a classic dose of historic whimsy, landing squarely in the vein of much-loved adventure anthems like “Ringling Road.” But then it builds on precedent, adding in a strutting rockabilly groove.

Now dilapidated, but still towering 14 stories over Mineral Wells, the real-life Baker Hotel was once among the nation’s most illustrious, hosting everyone from Bonnie & Clyde to Marilyn Monroe and Ronald Regan. Green’s tribute likewise toasts the local tradition of sneaking in and climbing to the top, and with plans to revitalize it underway, his spooky-roots barnstormer salutes the past as a new age arrives.

Elsewhere, however, Green’s not working off any playbook at all. Recording freshly written songs, sometimes penned just the day before, Green and his team felt free to roam. Some of his most challenging vocal performances are joined by in-the-moment arrangements, including craggy country rockers drenched in steel guitar, barstool ballads and two-steppers built for packed venues all across the nation – plus orchestral strings and the fat-bottomed bass lines of daydreamy plains pop. 

Each new track is almost like a different guest in the Baker Hotel itself, as Green explores themes of evolution in myriad ways.

“I think the entire COVID quarantine, it was about breaking out of chains to get back to normal on the outside, but also in an inner way, too,” he says. “It’s just a way different observation on myself and the world than I’ve ever had before.”

The high-flying “Feel Alive” may be project’s spiritual focus. Soaring with optimistic determination and a vocal that approaches the heavens, it’s the joyful sound of a soul opening up. With tracks like the confessional “Getting Drunk,” a lifelong good-timer wonders what he’s trying to drown out. And “Leave Me Alone” finds a guy arguing with himself in head spinning hill-country pop. 

Meanwhile, “Dog Song” pairs Green’s sly humor with a funky, four-legged foundation and a charming romantic turnaround. “Me, Her and You” dresses a classic-Western heartbreaker in stunning strings. “All You Got” writhes with ‘90s alternative rock frustration, and “Give a Damn” shimmers like the last rays of a West Texas sunset, somehow feeling both empty and electrifying.

No, it’s no small feat to grow while staying true to who you are … and for a proud Texan, true to where you’ve been. But if the last year-plus has taught him anything, it’s that the future is uncertain – so live fearlessly and blaze new trails while you can.

“I’m so fired up to go, its ‘Like let’s see where the road leads?’” he says. “I don’t have any kind of constraints, and that is bad ass.”

Contact: rootbeerrichie@7smgmt.com

Rootbeer Richie, born and raised in Louisiana and uprooted to the Rocky Mountains, changes the energy in any room he enters. He is infectious, his voice is soulful, and his songs quickly become sing-alongs.

Inspired by legends like Fats Domino, Ray Charles, and Sam Cooke, yet approached with a modern feel akin to Leon Bridges and Teddy Swims, Rootbeer Richie pulls from a variety of influences to create his long, tall-drink of soul-infused swamp pop. Rootbeer and his band, The Reveille, quickly gained a reputation as one of the most electric live acts in Denver, CO. As Rootbeer says, “The point of the music is to help you feel whatever it is you need to feel.” Those who’ve been converted, though, know he’s being modest. A Rootbeer Richie live show is like a spiritual awakening where it’s damn near impossible to feel anything other than the unbridled joy of being alive.

Contact: sirwoman@7smgmt.com

To say that Sir Woman has taken the crowded Austin music scene by storm this past year, would be a massive understatement. With the release of their full-length self-titled debut, the band has quickly skyrocketed to headliner status at Austin’s most venerable clubs, and garnered Artist Of The Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards.

The rolling funk/soul ensemble began as a solo vehicle for Wild Child/Glorietta vocalist Kelsey Wilson a mere two years ago. Their dynamic and joyful stage show led to quick buzz, with their recorded catalog quickly catching up to the acclaim (over 30 million plays on Spotify). They've also shared the stage with Black Pumas, Shakey Graves, Tank and the Bangas - and many more.

2023 included appearances at Newport Folk Fest, Luck Reunion, Jazzfest and an upcoming performance for Format Fest.

Contact: palmyra@7smgmt.com

Birthed in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Palmyra explores the fusion of traditional folk string instruments, lush harmony, and earnest songwriting. The trio, now based in Richmond, captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives: Teddy Chipouras, Mānoa Bell, and Sasha Landon. Often described as a distant cousin to The Avett Brothers and The Wood Brothers, Palmyra nods toward Appalachian and Midwestern Americana, with intricate arrangements that create the illusion of a full, larger-than-three ensemble.

The breakout folk trio has worked diligently to cement themselves as an unmistakable force in the Americana music landscape at large. Their forward momentum is propelled by their craftsmanship and dedication to an intimate performance experience; at the heart of the Palmyra is the evident love and regard that the three musicians share for each other and their craft.

Contact: wadebowen@7smgmt.com

Two decades and more than 4,000 shows into his career, Wade Bowen has become synonymous with country music, songwriting, and captivating live performances, and for good reason. An artistic descendant of American icons like Guy Clark, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen and more, Bowen is an important voice in a legacy of Texas troubadours stretching back more than 50 years. Texas Radio agrees, as he scored five awards at the 2025 Texas Regional Radio Music (T3R) Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year for the third year in a row.

Revered as one of the genre’s finest and most authentic modern voices, Bowen’s approach is rooted in tradition but also stands on the creative cutting edge. His focus remains on writing unique songs with a literary quality and shifting his sonic territory to match his life. More than a dozen albums have shown his musical diversity – including ten studio sets, four live collections, and an ongoing series of buddy-country hits with fellow Texan, Randy Rogers. 

In 2024, the singer-songwriter released his tenth studio album, Flyin, showcasing his diverse musical range and hard-hitting songwriting, as well as a cast of respected features that add unique elements throughout. Following the album’s release, Billboard proclaimed Bowen a “Red-Dirt Leader,” while American Songwriter called it “a tour de force from a guy who doesn’t believe in being hemmed into a single genre.”

Bowen continues to perform more than 200 dates a year across the U.S., solidifying his dedication to connecting with fans through his live performances. There is no slowing down for the road warrior either, with a steady stream of festivals and tour dates lined up for 2025—which already included a run with GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Award-winning Singer-Songwriter Carly Pearce on the UK / EU leg of her hummingbird world tour this past February.

A philanthropist at heart, Bowen founded the Bowen Family Foundation, which has helped children and families in and around central Texas by raising more than $7 million for beneficiaries including March of Dimes Waco, CASA of McLennan and Hill Counties, City of West Disaster Relief, Boys & Girls Clubs of Waco, Inspiración, The Mentoring Alliance, and more.

Contact: bigsomething@7smgmt.com

Hailing from the North Carolina countryside, or “The Middle of Nowhere,” as it is lovingly dubbed on their debut album, the 6-headed musical monster known as 'Big Something' has steadily become one of the most unique and exciting rock bands to emerge from the Southeast.

Huge rhythms paired with soaring guitars, E.W.I (electronic wind instrument), synths, horns and soulful vocals rise to the top of their signature sound taking listeners on a journey through a myriad of musical styles. With a diverse and growing catalog of timeless songs that tell stories, and a high energy live show fusing improvisational alternative rock with funk, reggae, jazz, electronica, heavy metal and more -- it's no secret why their fun-loving grassroots community of fans is so enamored with the band.

After over a decade together with 6 full-length studio albums produced by Grammy-nominee John Custer and even their own Summer music festival The Big What?, Big Something have carved out their own niche in the live music community and continue to grow nationally landing marquee appearances at Bonnaroo, Peach Music Festival, Lock'n, Summer Camp and Electric Forest as well as critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Guitar World, Glide Magazine and Jambase.

Contact: louhazel@7smgmt.com

Lou Hazel was born in the town of Olean, New York to a family of northeastern wiseacres.

Not one to commit, he skirted the compulsive hunting and fishing tradition held close to his father’s heart - instead cultivating a sensitivity more suited to artists and vagabonds. As a result, his travels brought him across the country and eventually through debilitating depression before coming to rest with a sense of personal peace and positivity in Durham, NC.

Yet, Lou’s brain is still a bat cave. Mostly, he wakes up with no idea what he’s going to do next, then finds himself there. In songwriting, he pulls from this cave rambling, heartfelt tales flowing through unselfconscious truth. In illustrations, he swirls and meanders towards an eventual finish only understood upon completion – as in his music. And in his photography and design work, he renders the essence of fellow musicians into expressive, personalized works of art.

Today, Louie continues crafting genuine folk tales of honest longing, disquieting loss, and nostalgia through a brilliant sheen of fresh insight with humble humor. Grabbing us by the ears in a new-age, Prine-like grip. Transforming the minutiae of everyday life into ever more evocative music. And surprising us all, including himself, with where we emerge.

In other words, Lou Hazel is coming out of this unbearable, unbelievably tragic, disconcerting year like a damn newborn moth with jet engine wings aimed toward a totally full super-moon. And it is good.

Contact: themotet@7smgmt.com

Formed over two decades ago, funk luminaries The Motet have learned to work as an interlocking unit, with each member bolstering one another towards the best creative output. This symbiosis has led to a unique style and cohesive musical chemistry, as seen in the band's immaculate live performances and seamless blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock. With a fervent fanbase in tow, The Motet have sold out shows across the nation, performed seven headlining slots at Red Rocks and sets at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra.

But even after their 20+ years of accolades and recognition, the legendary outfit - composed of Dave Watts (drums), Garrett Sayers (bass), Drew Sayers (keys and saxophone), Ryan Jalbert (guitar), and Sarah Clarke (vocals) - are still exploring new sonic ideas and finding new ways to showcase each other’s skill sets.

Contact: paulcauthen@7smgmt.com

Paul Cauthen is a true force of nature. His ability to captivate audiences with his soulful sound and larger-than-life personality has become lore amongst those that have witnessed it. It doesn’t hurt to have a generational set of pipes to top it all off. 

Hailing from East Texas, Cauthen embodies the spirit of the Lone Star State, earning a reputation for doing things his own way. Born into a family of preachers, Cauthen's upbringing heavily influences his deep-rooted connection to music. With a voice that resonates with raw emotion, he aims to transport listeners, inviting them on a journey through love, heartbreak, and the pursuit of personal freedom. Cauthen has continued to explore new sonic territory fearlessly, while unapologetically defying expectations and creating music that resists categorization.

Contact: pigeonjohn@7smgmt.com

Throughout his storied career as one of hip-hop’s brightest talents and most energetically singular creative entities, the rapper/singer/songwriter/producer Pigeon John has carried the flag for self-made, upstart, good-time rap music.

“I love that I’m still able to do music—this is my eighth album, but my roots have everything to do with why I’m still here doing it,” John says. “What I love about hip-hop is that there are no rules or patterns. That freedom, which is how I experienced hip-hop as a kid, is so important to who I am. And I still approach my new songs in the same way today.”

From paying his dues at the fabled Good Life Cafe in the Los Angeles open mic scene of the early ’90s to time on the road as a part of the successful L.A. Symphony rap group, John learned the value of grinding and hard work while unleashing his true creative self. As a budding solo career began to take shape, he toured the world relentlessly, soaking in the diverse scenes he came across and filtering them into his own sound. Never one to shut off his faucet of ideas in mid-flow, he embraced all sides of his muse to establish himself as a multi-talented artist, one who could bounce around genres, styles, and subjects with ease and often in the same song. And as his music has grown—from multiple smash singles and myriad synch placements in films, television, commercials, and more—Pigeon John has learned to ride the wave rather than to attempt to control the wheel. Never one to set out to make a record from scratch, his constant work ethic and continuous process often yields unexpected results, and this time around was no different.

“It seems like I’m always in the middle of making a record before I even know I’m making a record,” he says. “It always comes together a little quicker than expected. I think letting it flow has benefitted my whole process. I see the garden grow on its own—a bass line, a melody, a hook idea…it comes out of nowhere. We just grab onto it and ride that little doggie through the dirt.”

Ironically, having recently relocated with his lady and two young daughters from Southern California to the thriving Northwest scene in Portland, Oregon, John toyed with the notion of starting an album from a clean slate. Yet, with the frantic rush of modern life’s demands, before he knew it he was already knee-deep in new material. “I never like to work by forcing it,” he says. “I prefer to linger. If you have a child and they throw a tantrum, what they tell you to do is to not respond and instead just be with them. So if I’m stuck on a beat or verse or hook, if it doesn’t come to me I just linger around it. Maybe I’ll write one word a day, homeboy. I started the song though!”

Meeting with various producers sporadically at different times and in different cities, in addition to working from his own home studio in Portland, John began to build a body of work one song at a time. At some point, he realized that not only did he have enough songs for an album, but they all seemed to fit together in a cohesive thematic mood. “Working with other artists and producers on this record was like playing ball with other ballers,” he says. “Everyone has the talent but in a whole different language. This record is like a big, fun film we all got to do and we didn’t even know it ended—we didn’t know it was a wrap until months later.”

Loosely based around the construct of a day in the life—not just any day, but “a good day,” John emphasizes—Gotta Good Feelin’ is filled with optimistic high points and bursts of frenetic energy but also levels out with more somber, introspective moments as well. From the start of the title track’s opening verse, it’s clear that Pigeon John has come to play ball: “I feel it in my bones, gotta shake it out/I’m coming harder than before, let me hear you shout.” It’s all there in that simple bar, from the measured simplicity and good-natured boasting to the sly nod to his motivations: the music is in him and he has no choice but to let it rip. The track was made with his previous collaborators in the Campfire production team (Pitbull, Will Smith) while John was still living in LA, and arrived in the same way many of his songs do.

“It starts with the music, the first chords, and vibing to what it makes you say,” John says. “Then we’ll kick around the beat and chord progression and do a little kickoff coin toss to start the game. The song builds like a house, starting with a smooth foundation—always music and vibe first, then I soak up the mood and write the verse.”

The Fatboy Slim-influenced “They Don’t Make ’em Like Me” is another Campfire production that arrived in a similar way. Seeking a danceable vibe with sparkly, simple chord progressions, he aimed for it to play the role of a hype song that makes people move. The instrumental blend of a standup piano with live guitar and drums fleshes the song out with a timeless, upbeat quality. John, who does not play instruments live but uses a guitar and Rhodes to write melodies by ear, calls the recording process “like being in a virtual band for a day.”

Elsewhere, the pulsing, driving “Running It Now” plays like a hip-hop infused Tame Impala track, replete with a distortion heavy guitar pulse and singalong chorus. “Watch Me Move” hearkens back to a retro Motown era and highlights John’s ability to play confident frontman, while “Geeshid” is a slowed-down reggae-esque groove that makes way for some of his hardest spitting and deftest braggadocio. The album ends on “Without You,” a vulnerable, finger-snapping waltz of an anthem he calls a “tuck you into bed, kiss you on the forehead” closer. Written on a QY100 beat machine while on the road, he was influenced by songs whose mechanics maintain a sense of mystery. “I’m a huge fan of songs that are absolutely broken, where you don’t know how they’re pulling it off,” he says. “I love that vulnerable approach. Ending my album with ‘Without You’ is like a classic Beach Boys LA day that’s coming to an end.”

For Pigeon John, however, the sun never sets on his insatiable hunger to make music. Eight albums and a couple decades deep into a storied career, he shows no signs of slowing down.

“Sometimes I’m surprised where I go with my own music,” he says. “I’m so happy to still be doing it and enjoying the process, just showing my heart. The more vulnerable you can be, the more you’ll connect with people, so I’ve always followed whatever I’m hearing in my heart and trusting it. I’m letting it all out and I love still being surprised by the end result. It’s a cool balancing act. Music will always stay young and fresh. It’s always new.”

Contact: ryanperdz@7smgmt.com

Ryan Perdz is a 25-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Buffalo, NY. Raised on his grandparents’ family farm, he began teaching himself guitar at age ten and expanded into bass, violin, and mandolin, developing a hands-on approach to songwriting and arrangement. 

Influenced by artists such as Nirvana, Chris Cornell, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Led Zeppelin, Perdz channels the emotional weight of 90s rock through a modern lens, balancing grit with melody. His music often explores isolation, self-doubt, and perseverance, delivered with a clarity that feels lived-in rather than ornamental.

After independently releasing multiple singles and his First Sight EP an racking up tens of millions of views acrosssocial media, Perdz cultivated a loyal audience through consistent self-directed output. In 2025, he signed with BigMachine Rock and began recording his debut full-length album. His growing catalogue of original music has generated millions of streams, and his audience continues to expandacross digital platformsashe releases singles from his forthcoming debut, including “Sour” and “Heavy Eyes.”

As he prepares to unveil his debut album, Ryan Perdz stands positioned at the forefront of a new generation of rock artists shaped by both digital culture and classic influences.

Contact: johnhollier@7smgmt.com

John Hollier has been experiencing a handful of full-circle moments lately. Originally from Louisiana, the rising singer-songwriter has been relentlessly chasing down not only his unique sound — this searing fusion of rock, soul and alt-country — but also himself in the process. The result is his latest album, Rainmaker, a record showcasing Hollier’s live wire talent and artistic purpose.

“The live show is where I feel we’ve been able to really latch on to an identity. I don’t feel like the previous record captured that identity,” Hollier says candidly. “In terms of standing out, I think the show quickly outpaced that album. This new record is a true representation of the past two years.”

When it comes to great stage acts, one of the most difficult things to do is take that you-had-to-be-there energy of one’s live performance and translate that into the studio setting. And yet, this is where the essence of Rainmaker lies — this launching point for what Hollier and his band, The Rêverie, envision.

“[Onstage], there is pure chemistry, energy, and some magic” Hollier says. “I’ve put so much weight on the songwriting and the recording process, where I didn’t give enough credit for how effortless [our sound] can come across at our live show. It’s special.”

Instead of hiring session musicians, Hollier took his touring band into the studio and let the tapes roll — the radiating emotion and sonic tones cultivated due to a true comfortability and connectivity between one another.

”I’ll admit this approach took much longer than I anticipated. We weren’t a studio band. But I truly believe in this process,” Hollier says. “I found a sweet spot where I can comfortably write a body of work, and just bounce it off of the guys, bring that into the studio and have someone press record. We’re finally able to capture that convincingly.” 

That live wire energy and sonic grit of Rainmaker is no more evident than on the single, “Somewhere Down the Road.” With a tone of rolling thunder and lyrics pushing the edge of one’s own sanity, the melody crackles and bursts into this call to the universe for clarity and resolve amid the unknowns of what it takes to chase and hold onto your dreams in real time.

“Been bleeding out my secrets, kicking out the footlights,” Hollier howls. “Empty rooms and last night’s ghosts, honey it’s just how it goes.”


Emerging from rural central Louisiana, Hollier grew up on a crawfish farm in the depths of French-Cajun country. Outside of the usual cultural pillars of football and church, Hollier and his big brother learned to play guitar and sing at an early age. They would perform at church services and family gatherings.

“There was not really a music scene [there], but there were a lot of good musicians,” Hollier recalls. “But, that’s where the initial kind of candle burn began to happen for me, where I started to feel like music was my thing.”

One of those talented local musicians was Hollier’s uncle, who played guitar in a popular Cajun band. And he always left an open invitation to the brothers that if they ever wanted to jump onstage and play with his band, have at it.

“My brother and I could never hang with those Cajun guys,” Hollier chuckles. “They don’t play like country [music] and if they’re good it’s hard to keep up. Especially following the cadence of an accordion.”

But, Hollier wasn’t deterred. When he was onstage, something was sparked, with Hollier continually having these epiphanies while in the midst of a live performance. Out of high school, he started playing with some regional touring acts and began traveling around the U.S. and Canada. 

“To be honest, the moment I started writing and performing, I knew this was the only thing I wanted to be doing,” Hollier says. “With a live band, though, you really have to grind. I try to keep this tunnel vision - this is the path, just keep going.”

Eventually, Hollier took off to Nashville to try his luck as a songwriter, maybe even start a group in Music City and see where it would take him. In an effort to fit in and find work, Hollier’s French-Cajun roots began to take a backseat to the modern country sounds echoing out of studios and venues around the city.

“When you move to Nashville, you realize quickly what you’re not, you know?” Hollier says. “And I realized how much my roots mattered to me. But, there’s got to be a way to incorporate that [heritage and feeling] without being a little cheeky or make it feel cringe.”

Cue the formation of John Hollier & The Rêverie. Based on the Old French word “rêver,” which means “to dream,” the band’s name is a purposeful, more so poignant, ode to the definition itself that focuses on “a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream.”

“[The band name] is a cultural nod,” Hollier says. “But, it’s also about this dreamlike state, this very meditative space like when we’re working on a song and eventually put the words to it, these ethereal pieces that are like a river [flowing].”

With an array of sonic textures, the fiery ensemble weaves effortlessly between the rock, soul and indie-folk realms, where the vibrancy and soaring nature of the group conjures comparisons to the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Nathaniel Rateliff or Needtobreathe.

“But, you got a way with words, a way to freeze the frame,” Hollier roars through the arena-filling sound of “Can’t Say No Tonight.” “I don’t think about tomorrow, I just think about the way.”

With the release of Rainmaker, Hollier is chomping at the bit to not only share his music with the world, but to also once again take it straight to the ultimate proving ground that is the live stage — this space John Hollier & The Rêverie inhabit with grace, grit, and gratitude.

“The last thing you want to do is sound like everybody else,” Hollier says. “When you realize what your strengths are, and then you play to your strengths? That’s how you find your sound — that’s what we’re doing.”

Contact: sonlittle@7smgmt.com

Conceived in a cabin overlooking the Delaware River in upstate New York, Son Little’s latest album, Like Neptune, trades in the existential dread permeating previous work for unbridled joy and self-acceptance. In this verdant space of freedom, Son Little transmutes the chronic pain of self-doubt into a beautiful opus about overcoming generational trauma, decorating the altar of the primordial blues and elevating the labor of healing to high art. 

"In the beginning of lockdown, I went into a closet full of junk and found a couple of boxes full of my old writing books,” Livingston explained. “There turned out to be 72 books in there.”

“The oldest book I got as a Christmas present when I was 9,” he continued. “In it, I wrote letters to myself about what was happening in my life. One page refers to a neighbor in Queens who abused me sexually around age 5. It was the first and only time I’d ever acknowledge this fact until after my 19th birthday, when I told my mother what had happened. She begged me go to therapy. I went under protest. My attempt wasn’t sincere. I wasn’t ready. I thought I could just power through it.”

Years of anxiety, depression, panic attacks and the aforementioned existential dread ensued, often dulled or numbed by the effects of alcohol, drugs, or sex. A frightening car crash and arrest finally led him back into therapy in 2017. Aggressively employing progressive methods like EMDR and somatic healing, Livingston, with the help of a trusted therapist, began identifying the roots of his trauma, and where it lives in the body. But the biggest breakthrough came from Internal Family Systems, a methodology that recognizes responses to trauma triggers as distinct entities or ‘parts’ within the person, and requires the patient essentially have conversations with the different traumatized personalities within them.

“One day in therapy I started talking to myself– to that annoying inner voice that criticizes everything when you mess up. I asked them how old they were and they said ’10’. I asked if they knew who I was, or how old I was and they said ‘no'! Strange as it all seems it’s had some amazing results. I’m able to soothe and comfort my inner…children.”  

The open exchange with his wounded inner self challenges a tradition of silence that masks the trauma coursing through the bedrock of the genre; the impact of abuse has infamously undergirded the catalogs and upended the lives of some of R&B’s most iconic musicians. Like Neptune, however, counters that no student or practitioner of the tradition should believe trauma to be a necessary component of their sound. 

“I’ve always felt as though I was making music because I had to, something inside compelled me. Fueled me,” Little shared. “This the first time in a long time I’m making music for the pure joy of creating.”

Delving into his journals and happily cooped up inside due to the pandemic, Son Little returned to beat making to craft the core of Like Neptune using apps on his iPad–– a method originally tasked with satisfying the nagging urge to create on a daily basis on the road; later he fleshed out the programming and added live instrumentation in Ableton live— while micro dosing LSD and immersing himself in the sounds of ‘70s era David Bowie and psychedelic Amazonian cumbia of the same period.

Like Neptune also marks a return, to Livingston’s origins in the east coast underground hip-hop and soul scene, which lead to collaborations with The Roots (“Guns Are Drawn” and “Sleep”) and Icebird partner and frequent-collaborator RJD2 (“Crumbs Off The Table”), and later Portugal. the Man (“Woodstock”).

With these DIY bedroom productions, many made with a cassette 4-track and a MPC drum machine, Livingston honed and refined the unique sound he would later employ producing soul music legend Mavis Staples’ 2015 Your Good Fortune EP (including a GRAMMY Award-winning cover of “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”) and writing and producing with blues soul singer Deva Mahal. The entirety of this timeline of artistic growth and influence forms the foundation of his latest release.

Noticeably confident from the opening note, Son Little prioritizes his signature rasp as the chief instrument of every song on a 12-track meditation on the mortal struggle to achieve inner peace. Doling out a pearl-strung collection of successive epiphanies he engages each of his re-invigorated parts, empowering them to finally speak freely, with him as the vessel.  

“Think of them as my inner R&B Boy Band, son little,” Livingston explained. “A different version of me takes lead on each song.”

Beginning with the opening track, Son Little lets loose in this expansive creative landscape. "drummer" is a chronicle of the artistic struggle punctuated by the expert timing of master percussionist Aaron Draper, Livingston’s inner critic delivers a spirited ode to the rigors and value of creative work.  

The anxious worrisome part, the part that sets the alarm because you stayed up all night worrying about sleeping through the alarm, describes the ongoing effort to repair a fraught relationship with sleep on "6 AM."  

And a once overly macho part finds power in vulnerability: "inside out” places balance and directness over possessiveness and toxicity with a groove inspired by both RZA and Prince, while "deeper" alludes to Son Little's long-standing desire to understand the human experience beyond mortality, someplace closer to the essence of the divine.

On the title track, Livingston’s voice does the heavy lifting – supported again by Draper’s percussion – and delivers the playful lyrics he attributes to his youngest and most wildly imaginative part, Neptune. Neptune is also responsible for “stoned love” which finds him cooing stoner wordplay flanked by the otherworldly synth work of Deshawn ‘Dvibes’ Alexander.

The lustful album closer “what’s good” practically oozes joy as a once angry, impatient part of him imagines reuniting with a would-be lover after a very long absence. This song demonstrates a depth of emotion with slick pop melodies and spare guitar to stomping gospel organ and brash arpeggios that scratch the psych-rock itch. 

Like Neptune establishes Son Little as the polyglot translator and rightful torchbearer of the celebrated musical tradition known as rhythm and blues. Continuing to revolutionize the modern understanding and expectation of the R&B sound, Son Little delivers an unadulterated transmission of Black American music performed in its praying and pleading mother tongue. With it, he completes the daunting tasks of confronting himself and pushing his sound to completion. The result is a timeless body of work reflective of his deep internal desire to inhabit the most radiant version of himself and become a positive force in the lives of people around him. It’s been a long time coming, so what’s good?

Contact: jandthecauseways@7smgmt.com

At the core of soul music is a vibrant, embracing spirit, one aimed at connecting the dots of humanity that reside on both sides of the microphone.

“It doesn’t matter if there are 10 people in the audience or a 1,000,” says Jordan Anderson, lead singer/keyboardist for J & The Causeways. “It’s that sacrifice we make of our art, so that people can feel it that much harder the first time they hear you.”

In a serendipitous sequence of events, J & The Causeways was formed at the legendary Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans. A juggernaut soul/R&B ensemble, the group is filled with heavy backbeats and a soaring horn section, all swirling around the magnetic vocal stylings of Anderson.

“We definitely shine live because each and every member of this band loves to be onstage and in that genuine moment of performance,” Anderson says. “New Orleans is home to some of the finest singers and musicians on the planet, which also means you have to bring your A-game to every single show — you’re representing this city and the long history of beautiful music that’s been created here.”

As a kid, Anderson was first exposed to the power of music from his grandmother, a piano teacher in his small rural Louisiana hometown. It was her backroom record collection that mesmerized Anderson, where he found himself thumbing through the vinyl and discovering the likes of Otis Redding, Al Green, Queen, and Aretha Franklin.

“I learned early on to not fall into the vanilla variety of pitch,” Anderson says. “It’s about finding a certain power that you can harness with the pure emotion of your voice, which is what all of those singers had — finding that spectrum of vocalists who put it all out there for the audience.”

With J & The Causeways, Anderson is fronting a band that finds itself mentioned in the same breath as the likes of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and The Marcus King Band — all modern-day entities of passion and purpose, each summoning the pulsating, endless energy of soul/R&B music.

“With soul music, it’s those live moments where you feel truly elevated, and you’re bringing the audience along with you to that higher place,” Anderson says. “And you’re creating this space of inclusivity and connectivity — there’s no way you’re leaving that stage without a smile on your face.”

For J & The Causeways, it’s about bringing forth a communal sense of self within the greater universe of knowns and unknowns — we’re all in this together, so let’s share in the depths of our raw, honest emotions through the sound and spectacle that is live music.

“I like to help people find joy. And I find that a lot of people just don’t know how to be vulnerable enough to find that joy,” Anderson says. “I want our music to help unlock that beauty that resides within each of us, to let out that vulnerability of what it means to be in the presence of live music, and of each other — music has always lifted me up, and I want to lift up the listener every single time I’m on that stage.”

Contact: toomanyzooz@7smgmt.com

Self-described "Brass House" trio Too Many Zooz make manically kinetic instrumental music that combines avant-garde jazz, EDM, punk rock, and sundry other traditions into their own distinctive brand of high-energy dance music. A viral sensation since they first emerged as New York subway buskers in 2013, Too Many Zooz have evolved into a globally recognized phenomenon who tour often and produce YouTube videos that have garnered millions of views.

Formed in 2013 in New York City, Too Many Zooz features the talents of baritone saxophonist Leo "Leo P" Pellegrino, trumpeter Matt "Doe" Muirhead, and drummer David "King of Sludge" Parks. Pellegrino and Muirhead initially met while students at the Manhattan School of Music where they studied jazz. They eventually joined forces with percussionist Parks, whom Pellegrino had played with in a separate busking outfit. They began playing live at various New York subway stations and quickly attracted crowds with their aggressive instrumental sound and Pellegrino's ability to dance and hype the audience like a DJ while playing. In 2014, a video of the band went viral and helped set the stage for the group’s meteoric rise.

In 2016, the trio released their debut full-length album, Subway Gawdz, which featured guest spots from Kreayshawn, Armani White, members of Galactic, and Beats Antique. That same year they were featured on Beyonce’s Lemonade album, and performed with Beyonce and The Dixie Chicks at the CMA’s.

Too Many Zooz have continued to release EP’s – holiday-themed EP A Very Too Many Zooz Xmas (2018), ZombiEP (2019), a concept album about a fictional band playing a music festival during a zombie outbreak, Covers (2022), Pecking Order (2022), plus collaborations and remixes with The Floozies, Beats Antique, Spencer Ludwig, Moon Hooch, Dot Cromwell, Nitty Scott, Lester London, and RoRo. The band is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on their sophomore LP.

Contact: cocozandi@7smgmt.com

Half of the due Wild Child, CoCo Zandi makes music inspired by an acute love of the sound and vibe of 1950’s Hawaiian exotic records, chased with a modern twist. Armed with his trusty baritone ukulele, an irrepressible crooning swagger, a tablespoon of steel drums,a pinch of electro 808’s, and his trio of backup sirens known as The Coquettes; CoCO Zandi’s debut album explores themes of love, loss, and all that jazz. He’ll always deliver with the smirk on the lips and a half empty (half-full) Pina colada in hand.

Contact: tristantrincado@7smgmt.com

Tristan Trincado is an 18 year old country/American singer-songwriter from Carbondale, CO. After a traumatic brain injury gave him a newfound ability to play guitar, he's opened for John Oates, Max McNown, Paul Cauthen, Thomson Square and more, blending folk-tinged storytelling a la Tyler Childers with the grit of Zach Bryan.

Contact: wildchild@7smgmt.com

Wild Child won't settle. For seven years now the Austin-based ensemble has carried its infectious blend of indie-pop and infectious melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits and wrapping their arms around a diverse and dedicated fan base. But earlier this year when the band set out to make their fourth studio album, they found they had their hands full: After half a decade of maturation, the group had grown beyond its traditional writing and recording process. “We had too many ideas for how we wanted to make this record” says Kelsey Wilson, the group’s lead vocalist and violinist. She shrugs. “So we said, ‘Why not just do all of them?’”

The group realized this offered an exciting opportunity to make a kind of record bands rarely get right: To take a new, multispectral approach to writing and recording that went beyond simply trying to engineer success. The band made a list of their favorite musicians who were also great producers in their own right — choosing ones they thought would shine a new and unique light on specific compositions — and then Wild Child set about chasing their album from studio to studio all over the world, never saying no to an idea.

The result — the band’s fourth album, Expectations — is Wild Child’s most creative, colorful and intellectually engaging album to date.

Now a seven-piece pop mini-orchestra (Wilson on violin and vocals; Alexander Beggins on ukulele and vocals; Sadie Wolfe on cello; Matt Bradshaw on keyboards, trumpet, and harmonica; Tom Myers on drums; Cody Ackors on guitar and trombone; and Tyler Osmond on bass), Wild Child formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk.

Wild Child shaped their last record, Fools, in the shadows of more than one failed love, and Expectations, as the title suggests, is a continuation of that personal experience into an awakening. Wilson and Beggins, whose voices fit each other as naturally as any family act, pushed their boundaries as writers, drawing freely from the stories they've lived as well as the artists around the world that have inspired their growth. Their rate of output over that last year got them thinking differently about producing, focusing on one track at a time. “We’ve always focused on the record as a whole. We wanted to think about each track as it’s own piece- but somehow it all fits together” Wilson says of the approach. That route took them around the world — from Chris Walla's (Death Cab For Cutie) studio in Tromsø, Norway, where the Northern Lights are the brightest in the world, to a home-built warehouse studio on the outskirts of Philadelphia, where Dr. Dog's Scott McMicken picked up the bass and “joined the band for a week,” arranging harmonies and sharing living and recording space. Back in Wimberley, Texas, Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit) set up a makeshift studio in Kelsey Wilson’s beloved childhood home — abandoned since the floods of 2015 — where they found the muses were eager to resurface. The group also tapped the talents of frequent tour mate Chris Boosahda (Shakey Graves), Atlantic Records recording artist Max Frost, and Grammy-winning producer Adrian Quesada (Groupo Fantasma, Brown Sabbath, Spanish Gold).

The result is a theater of possibilities, with arrangements that reflect the range of tastes of the producers, from scruffy lo-fi tape hiss, to smoothed out precision-cut electronic pop sounds. Smartly, the album avoids defining itself and kicks off with a child’s voice telling Alexander Beggins, "Don't think that way." The track that follows (called "Alex") is a hook-spangled opener which in its three breezy minutes builds from a single ukulele to a lush and playful arrangement reminiscent of Beirut.

The record almost immediately settles in to find the band at its most expansive. Songs like "My Town" and the deep-breathing "Eggshells" stretch the spaces between beats like a Chinese finger/time trap. They stop for more than one layover in Detroit, with "Back and Forth" evoking the horn charts of Arthur Conley and Jackie Wilson (or even Jens Lekman), and "Think It Over" throws an unexpected nod to Sly and the Family Stone.

The closing track, “Goodbye, Goodnight,” is also the first the group recorded, and the one they believe best epitomizes the journey of making this album. At first, Scott McMicken’s production caught the band off-guard: He slowed the waltz down to the tempo of a dirge — or a dirge with the levity of a waltz — and built the track up at an almost excruciatingly slow pace that in the end gives you what you want from it, but only gives it to you once. “At first we were all just trying to understand where he was coming from,” Wilson says with a laugh. “And it took us a while to get there, but the arrangement works out so well — with what the song is about and how we felt when we wrote it — that it ended up being one of my favorite songs on the record.”

And the more you listen to Expectations, the more the many worlds of this project begin to cohere around you. After all, one of the great joys of traveling the world is discovering surprising connections: A skyscraper in Barcelona reminds you of a spire in the Utah desert; the Northern Lights in the Norwegian sky look like an oil slick on the Philadelphia pavement. Expectations, an album which can by turns be bitter, wistful, angry, and flirtatious, is rich with these surprising rhymes across the record. “We’re all growing and changing and learning new tricks,” Beggins says. Wilson responds, “Yeah, there’s no right or wrong way to do anything.” Her own record, though, is proof she’s wrong.

Contact: lespecial@7smgmt.com

lespecial is redefining the term “power trio”. The multi-instrumentalists from Connecticut continue to push the boundaries of what a three-piece band is capable of both live and in the studio ahead of their latest album, “Odd Times”. The band’s signature blend of “heavy future groove” combines headbanging metal riffage and surgical rhythmic precision with bone shaking 808s, sub synths and ethereal vocal stylings for a dance floor that welcomes moshing, dancing and hip swaying alike. Listeners are taken on a journey to the musical netherworld through esoteric soundscapes punctuated by raw, primal power.

Odd Times, lespecial’s darkest and heaviest record to date, is an enigmatic and compelling musical project that explores the ever-changing nature of time amidst isolation. With heavy riffs, tribal drumming, and hints of levity, it's a captivating journey crafted in collaboration with Havok's David Sanchez. An intriguing blend of old-school metal and modern djent-inspired riffage awaits in this haunting sonic experience.

Contact: latenightradio@7smgmt.com

Colorado-based electronic music producer Late Night Radio introduces his latest album, Pocket Full of Dreams [Philos Records], an introspective masterpiece skillfully merging reflective rhythms and soul-inspired hip-hop beats. A testament to Late Night Radio's musical prowess, the new album also contemplates the thematic depth of life's pursuits and dreams, tracing the poignant highs and lows of such journeys. A consistent force in the evolving electronic music landscape, Alex Medellin (Late Night Radio) consistently crafts authentic sounds brought to life through his deep-rooted passion and diverse musical explorations. Pocket Full of Dreams stands as a testament to Medellin's life experiences, both in the realm of music and beyond. 

“Creating this album made me realize how important being vulnerable in your art is. And realizing that if I make something I truly relate with, it’s going to resonate with other people that are going through the same struggles,” Alex explains.

While shaping Pocket Full of Dreams, the interplay between energetic tour experiences and reflective studio sessions became a key influencer. Alex drew inspiration both from the vibrant energy at shows, and from introspective moments away from the stage. He mentions, “Touring provides inspiration, but the quiet times let me truly connect with my experiences.” This balance sets the stage for Alex's revelation on the album’s deeper themes:

“This album was really about me getting back to making music for me and not just worrying about whether this will bump at a live show,” admits Medellin. “While touring it’s hard to create without the intention or influence of performing, so to have a break from live shows for a while really gave me a different perspective and the ability to draw on emotion, rather than energy.”

Collaborators on the album include Motifv, Poldoore, and Michal Menert, all of whom have had a significant imprint on Late Night Radio's recent works and tours. "Found (with Motifv)" weaves a compelling story of evolving dreams and life's challenges. "On My Shoulder" delves deep into the internal conflicts and dilemmas dictating life choices, while "Shining (with Poldoore)" stands as a beacon of positivity, underscoring the unpredictability and beauty of life.  Motifv joins Late Night Radio for the upcoming Pocket Full of Dreams Tour and Poldoore will make appearances at select dates this winter. These collaborations have not only enriched the album's sonic tapestry but also deepened it’s narrative, making every song a distinct chapter in a cohesive story. 

“This entire album feels very personal to me, it’s hard to pick out a specific track as a favorite,” Alex muses. “It’s really about my personal struggle with feeling ‘good enough’ and finding my place in a constantly changing environment. In that sense it’s more like releasing a private journal than an album to me.” 

Medellin's life-long romance with music is evident in every track. Through the melodies and beats of Pocket Full of Dreams, listeners will find a narrative rich in emotion, experience, and introspection, inviting listeners to embark on an unparalleled musical journey – and perhaps one of their own self-discovery.

“Dream big and don’t give up. We all go through periods of self-doubt, but if you keep going there is always another peak after the valley, no matter how far away it seems.”