Luke Tyler Shelton‘s debut EP, Blue Sky, is a folk country masterpiece, as Shelton successfully forges his place in the genre by maintaining balance between inspiration and innovation. Luke Tyler Shelton is based in Los Angeles and aims to inspire the same wonder he feels when listening to the music that inspires him. Shelton’s influences are obvious on the EP, but at the same time feel uniquely like Shelton himself, despite the similarities to artists like Neil Young and Don McLean.
Shelton’s ability to harness his influences into a work that is truly his, is because of his unique and rich vocals, and the superb band that is backing him throughout the EP. The EP starts with “Anna”, which is an acoustic track featuring finger picked guitars, which are airy and colorful. The 70’s influence is immediately apparent, and the chorus is an ear-worm for sure. The lyrics are melt in your mouth sweet, as Shelton sings, “Oh, Anna. My heart is high, in the wake of your tide.”
We see the talent of Shelton’s band immediately on “Ana” as the fiddle comes in and has it’s moment to shine and assist Shelton in expresses his deepened love. Because of the tightness of the song, it already feels like a well established classic—something your parents would play countless times on the way to school. Every aspect of this track is harmonious, from the vocals, guitar, fiddle, drums, and so on. Shelton’s voice cuts perfectly through the music to deliver an excellent and harmonious love song to our ears.
“Feeling Always Down” drops off from the high of “Ana” and slows us down to feel the sadness of the track. The electric guitar hums and rings subtly but vibrantly on this one, as it takes on an almost mourning tone. The guitar really gets a chance to shine mid song as the keys build to aid the guitar in singing out this sorrowful ballad. Where the lyrics repeat, the instrumentals most definitely don’t, as Shelton sings out “Feelings Always Down” and the band builds and builds til the very end of the track.
“Love On My Mind” is a classic 70’s folk country song. The song is upbeat and sweet, and the chorus uses layering to deliver the lyrics, “No one loves me like my lady, she’s my sweet one, she’s my baby”. The bass, electric guitar and acoustic guitar aid Shelton in singing mid-track as they shine and hum their rich tones. This album midway has proved itself to have an excellent blend of intricate instrumental melodies as well as rich and impressive vocal capabilities from Shelton.
“A Bus Ain’t A Home” uses a light and bouncy acoustic guitar and a flighty piano to emphasize the songs traveling themes. The electric guitar sings and cries, as a female backing vocal comes in and excellently blends with Shelton’s rich vocals. A twangy guitar bounces off the acoustic guitar, spotlighting both of their capabilities. Although Shelton is singing a traveling song, it’s subversive of the typical flighty and detached traveler as he expresses his excitement in seeing his lover again.
“Where The West Begins” is a light country track with inclusion of the harmonica! The firm drum beat makes it perfect for two stepping and dancing in a classic country joint. The bass and drums are the driving force of this track, as they aid Shelton’s lyrical delivery as well as the instrumental breaks. The harmonica is used almost to converse with Shelton as he sings lyrics about the unique experiences of being West.
“Hell Of A Ride” is a.steady rock country track with mid-tempo beat, almost like riding a horse. Shelton uses the steadiness of the song to profess his love towards his woman. The guitars are subtle but complimentary to Shelton’s voice. The piano comes in mid-track and provides a bright and open feeling to the song breaking up the steadiness. The bands builds at the end to give a firm and melodic ending to the track.
The EP’s title track, “Blue Sky” features darker guitar tones and finger picking guitars. It’s a classic folk country song as Shelton sings about missing his love, and dealing with loneliness. Subtle orchestral strings in the background give a deeper layer to the rich world that is created through the layering of the guitar strings. This track in particular is very reminiscent of Don McLean. As the song continues, the beat becomes firmer and steadier as the strings work together to give background to Shelton’s lyrics. His lyrics are earnest and hopeful, as he wishes to see the light shining through. It’s a hopeful note to end the EP off, and a really great combination of the aspects of the EP that Shelton and his band have excelled in.
Blue Sky was an amazing listening experience and it’s truly exciting to think about what the future holds for Luke Tyler Shelton. Shelton’s debut EP has the ability to capture both people that are unaware of classic folk and country anthems, as well as the people that grew up on them or experienced their release.The EP was instrumentally breathtaking and complex, Shelton’s vocals were both exquisite and raw, and his lyrics were universal and relatable to a variety of people.
After eight years of silence, Paul McDonald has reemerged, not with polish, but with purpose.
The Alabama-born singer-songwriter who once charmed American Idol audiences with his gravel-coated vocals and signature Southern swagger makes a thunderous return with So Long to the Dark Side. A full-length testament to heartbreak, healing, and hard-won hope. This is not just another Americana record; it’s the kind of album you don’t write unless you’ve been through hell and made the long walk back.
“The last time I put out a full record was in 2018,” McDonald shares. “Since then, I wrote and recorded more music than I care to admit… whole albums, multiple times over, only to shelve them all.” After pouring his soul into chasing a sound that kept slipping through his fingers, McDonald found himself creatively exhausted and unsure if music was still his calling. So Long to the Dark Side is the sound of him finding his way back.
And it shows. There’s a rawness pulsing through every track that feels earned, not engineered. Opener “Dark Side” sets the tone with a gospel-tinged urgency, the kind of song that kicks up dust in your chest. You can almost hear the weight he’s carrying, and the light he’s chasing. That tension continues throughout the record, teetering between cosmic Americana and Southern soul.
“Rosemarie” shimmers with nostalgia, a smoky ballad about a love that lingers just a little too long. “Unwind” offers a gentler reprieve, like the first deep breath after a long stretch underwater. An ode to letting go of the hustle and leaning into grace. But it’s “What’s the Point?” that cuts deepest: a philosophical spiral into life’s meaning, anchored by the simplest and most profound answer: love.
Throughout the album, McDonald doesn’t shy away from the darkness, but he never lets it win. “Stardust” and “Star of the Morning” flirt with celestial themes, while “Forgiveness” dives into the messier parts of being human and trying to let go. On “Never Coming Down” and “Higher Power”, McDonald reaches for something bigger. Maybe faith, maybe clarity, maybe just solid ground. He closes things out with “Good Time,” a rollicking, full-circle celebration of the now. It’s not naive joy, it’s earned joy.
Though Paul McDonald once dabbled in shiny LA pop during a public-facing relationship with actress Nikki Reed, So Long to the Dark Side is a return to his roots. To the dive bars of the Southeast, to the soul-soaked storytelling of Petty and Parsons, to a sound that doesn’t chase trends, but reverberates with truth. With his band The Mourning Doves, McDonald has rebuilt his musical foundation in Nashville, not as a comeback, but as a continuation. His annual One Big Love festival has become a quiet fixture in the community, and his live shows are part revival, part rock séance. A full-body reminder that this man was never gone, just rebuilding.
So Long to the Dark Side is imperfect in the best way: raw, human, and gloriously alive. And just like the publication you’re reading this on, it knows that imperfection is the most honest form of art.
Houston-born R&B artist Bryant Barnes released his new single “Two Sides of Goodbye” on July 11th. Barnes, a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, has many popular hits including “Why Can’t You” “Is This Love To You” and “I’d Rather Pretend.” He originally went viral on tiktok for piano covers, but now has millions of streams on his EP Vanity. Barnes has been featured on Genius and at 19 years old, Vevo declared him as a DSCVR 2025 Artist to Watch.
“Two Sides of Goodbye” is a beautiful ballad. It’s a classic break-up song, but it’s anything but cliche or boring. If you’ve never heard Barnes’s vocals before, he has a very distinct tone that fits this type of slow, syrupy song. His harmonies in this song add another layer to the production that makes a more complex sound. The instruments are pretty basic here, but it adds to the song more than anything. The piano is soft but steady in the background, and the addition of strings right before the chorus is just a little touch to support Barnes’s vocals.
The single’s main story is about how the singer feels like he’s heartbroken by this break-up, while the other party has seemingly moved on. The chorus gives the listener this:
“I’m stuck in our memories You’re making new ones without me Smiling while I cry We’re on two sides of goodbye”
It’s the idea that one person is ready to move on and the other just isn’t yet, which I’m sure many listeners have related to at one point or another in their life. Something I love about “Two Sides of Goodbye” is that the song isn’t about placing blame on one party or another. Barnes in the second verse sings “I”m not being jealous, I just wanna know what it’s like” which explains the tones and emotions behind the song. It’s not bitter, which for me makes the song even more emotional.
If you want to see more of Bryant Barnes, he’s currently on the Withered Tour with artist D4vd. “Two Sides of Goodbye” sets the tone for a debut full-length album to come out later in 2025.
From the heart of Nashville, Grammy-nominated bluegrass band Sister Sadie returns with their fourth studio album, All Will Be Well. A sweeping, genre-blurring body of work that reaffirms their place not only as instrumental powerhouses but as storytellers rooted deeply in resilience, community, and emotional truth.
Out now via Mountain Home Music Company, All Will Be Well arrives on the heels of a triumphant award season for the group. With co-founder Deanie Richardson earning Fiddle Player of the Year and guitarist Jaelee Roberts taking home Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2024 International Bluegrass Music Association awards. The band itself, which formed in 2012 after a one-off performance at Nashville’s Station Inn, has long defied the limits of genre and gender in bluegrass, having been crowned IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year in 2020 and Vocal Group of the Year for three consecutive years prior.
What makes All Will Be Well especially poignant is its emotional and stylistic breadth. From the first notes of “Winnebago” to the soulful closer “Can’t Let Go of Your Love”, Sister Sadie pulls from a palette that fuses 90s country nostalgia with classic bluegrass instrumentation. Guitarist and vocalist Dani Flowers, who co-wrote over half the album, describes it best: “From the studio to the stage, the songs from this record have brought us back to life and connected us to each other in brand new ways.”
One of the most arresting tracks, “Let the Circle Be Broken”, tackles generational trauma and domestic abuse with raw honesty. It’s an exorcism wrapped in harmony, somber and unrelenting, yet ultimately redemptive. This willingness to marry vulnerability with musical precision is Sister Sadie’s signature, and it’s on full display throughout the album.
The band also invited a stellar lineup of collaborators to join the journey. Steve Earle lends harmony on “I Wish It Would Rain”, while legends like Russ Pahl (pedal steel), Catherine Marx (keys), and Dave Racine (drums) elevate the record’s sonic landscape. With these contributions and performances from musicians like Seth Taylor and Mary Meyer, each track is layered with texture, intention, and deep musical kinship.
Standouts like “Make Me Stay or Make Me Go” and “The Devil Don’t Care” offer blistering instrumentation and bold vocal performances. “Orphan Train” and “Prodigal Daughter” lean into narrative balladry, while “This Is Me (You’re Not Talking To)” feels like a line in the sand. Through it all, the band’s vocal chemistry remains unshakable, each harmony feeling earned and essential.
It is a damn good record. But more than that, it’s a generous one. The kind that opens its arms to long-time fans and newcomers alike. Whether you come for the bluegrass chops, the country soul, or the stories that settle in your bones, All Will Be Well is a celebration of Sister Sadie’s evolution. Because in their world, harmony isn’t just a sound. It’s a promise.
Nashville-based artist Sam Varga released his new single “Minute Man” on July 4th. Varga is an rock/alt-country artist and has one full-length album he released in 2024 titled Shadow Work. His music is a unique combination of the distinct sound of country with some clear alternative and emo influences. Some of his songs lean more acoustic and it’s just his voice and the guitar, and others have that more alt-pop sound.
“Minute Man” has a modern country sound, and is a relatively simple production. There are a few minutes where it’s just the guitar playing, which switches up the main beat of the song. But Varga’s style makes this song different from any other country song, as the alternative elements are just as present here. Sam Varga’s vocals feel much more in line with an alternative style than the traditional country singer. The vocals don’t have the high pitch that is often present in emo music, but the tone is much brighter than country usually is. The drums are also more reminiscent of the alternative genre, which manages to give this song a complex sound with the simple production.
The single is also political in a way that’s fitting for our current world, a distinction from Varga’s other work. Different cultural references are sprinkled throughout the song, which catches the listener’s attention. It’s less of a specific political message than it is an observation of just how broken our world and society is right now. The song also mostly references different ways that the world is ending or “broken,” like the threat of nuclear war and the polar ice caps melting.
But the main “story” of the song is about falling in love with this apocalyptic background. It’s an interesting contrast between this love and the very current threat of the world ending. The lyrics “two kids kissing under bleachers in the fallout” are immediately followed by “heard you say we’re gonna die young anyway.” It’s dark, but the takeaway isn’t totally depressing. The title comes into play here, as the lyrics “I just need a minute, man” end off the chorus. “Minute Man” is interested in how screwed up our current political world is, but it isn’t a totally nihilistic song.
Amy Jay‘s latest single, “Can’t Go Back” is a indie pop track that delves into displacement, detachment and loneliness in a place that you think of as your home. Amy Jay is a self described “alt folk indie singer songwriter” who is currently based in New York City. “Can’t Go Back” is the first single off of Jay’s upcoming album, Mnemonics, out November 7th.
“Can’t Go Back” is the perfect song for soul searchers, introspectives, and who has ever felt out of place or invisible. Amy Jay’s inspiration—feeling lost in New York City—is a universal concept even if you don’t have millions of people on your doorstep. Community is a hard thing to find, and Jay delves into that struggle deeply on “Can’t Go Back.”
The track begins with immersive bass beats with deeply personal direct lyrics targeted to a former friend/lover. She reminsces on what once was, and their final dinner, mentioning the isolation that followed. Her soft vocals are intimate and reflective of the songs sensitive nature.
The tracks shining star is it’s lyrics. When Amy Jay writes, “I can’t tell if it’s New York, or if I’ve grown up, or if I’ve grown up in New York”, she speaks to the dismantling of identity and placement, and the way we become misaligned with our home and self.
As she writes that the city is “shaping her”, she is discussing all the change you go through during youth and how malleable your identity becomes. It’s so easy to lose yourself in new environments and experiences, and forget where you even began, which is exactly what Jay seeks to discover. Describes Jay of the inspiration here, “Remember that change is inevitable and sometimes permanent.” She goes on to explain:
Although I wrote this song before COVID, it’s eerily pertinent to how the pandemic drastically impacted our lives. Despite living in the same city long enough to call it home, I question if my sense of displacement comes from New York’s inherent transience or the broader challenges of adulthood. Even before COVID but especially since, many loved ones moved away and my community is constantly shifting, so it often feels impossible to establish lasting roots in such an ever-changing environment. Like experiencing a death, the only way to move forward is to grieve the change and accept the new reality.
The lyrics are enrobed in Jay’s echoey vocals, and the nostalgic reverb that makes the song feel simultaneously distant and extremely close to home, which is exactly the contrast that exists within the narrative of displacement and discovery.
The steady and relatively chill beat and instrumentals are at odds with the anxiety and mourning of loss time and identity within the song, and the tension works amazingly. Jay is up to quietly mourn who we once were alongside her, as the song allows the listener to reflect on their own irreversible moments and lost memories/experiences.
The repetition of the lyrics “We can’t go back” is both disarming and comforting, as it reflects both the uneasiness towards the passage of time, as well as the acceptance of it. “Can’t Go Back” is the soundtrack for travelers, hermits, college students, and pretty much anyone that has felt instability or loss of identity, and Amy Jay packages it skillfully and wonderfully through her velvety vocals and confessional lyrics. If you don’t already relate, unfortunately, someday you will!
Follow Amy Jay on tour here. Pre-save the single here.
