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Blues Music Blog & Promotion

Afton Wolfe – So Purple (feat. Brian Brown, Jack Vinoy Remix): A Blues-Rinsed Trip Through Psychedelic Hip-Hop Alchemy

Afton Wolfe’s latest single, So Purple, was never made for the skimmers, the distracted, or the easily satisfied. It’s a track built to grip your brainstem and hold it under a hazy, hallucinogenic spell. In the Jack Vinoy remix, Wolfe, alongside Brian Brown, brings a soul-soaked, genre-scrambling opiate for the audiophiles who don’t want their boundaries respected.

Wolfe’s vocal delivery alone is enough to trigger an inner chemical reaction. Gruff and thick with Southern blues nuance, his timbre never fights for dominance. It lounges. It drips. It carves through the synth-drenched backdrop like molasses sliding off a neon-lit glass. The production doesn’t bow to any one style—hip-hop is the main artery, but the heartbeat throbs with experimental jazz-blues fusion, swirls of soul, and psychotropic layers that wouldn’t feel out of place in a track built for a Lynchian lounge.

When Brian Brown’s rap bars slide in, they don’t disrupt the equilibrium—they challenge it. The cadence is sharp, the diction is clean, but it’s never ornamental. Brown brings the punch while Wolfe bathes you in smoke.

Vinoy doesn’t phone in his role either. His touch is the hallucinogen. Every snare, warped synth swell, and backmasked flourish is precision-placed to hypnotise. This isn’t your standard producer flex—this is a psych-laced sermon served on a vinyl platter made for the hedonistic and the heartbroken alike.

So Purple is a lucid dream on loop. It welcomes you, intoxicates you, then leaves you wondering if the high came from the sound or the space it created inside you. Wolfe is pushing past what’s comfortable, and it’s about time the rest of us caught up.

The remix is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cali Soul Singer Mark Alan Wilson Helped His Fans ‘Cut Loose’ With His Latest Release

Mark Alan Wilson is the kind of modern artist who makes you suspect he struck a deal with the devil, transforming his own soul into the purest conduit for RnB. His latest single, ‘Cut Loose’, lands effortlessly as a feel-good track fuelled with authentic substance and style.

Wilson is a rare musician who never needs to break convention to sign, seal, and deliver a sound that naturally stands apart. Distinction resonates powerfully through the rapture of his honeyed-smoke harmonies, drifting timelessly into that sanctuary only the sound of soul can provide. The track offers a gentle but necessary reminder that, although patience is essential for life’s bigger pleasures, small delights are scattered everywhere. It grants the listener full permission to cast aside life’s darker moments and simply cut loose, if only for one night.

The swanky jazz-infused interludes and blues guitar riffs sweep away the heaviness from any weary mind, allowing Wilson to effortlessly mainline serotonin into your day. Wilson’s commitment to authentic soul music is evident, resonating as he continues to build momentum through live performances, setting the stage for an array of promising releases throughout 2025.

‘Cut Loose’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JohnnyTheWidower on Pain, Performance and Purpose

Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

Between smoky stage setups and stripped-bare blues ballads, JohnnyTheWidower is steering independent music into a space where authenticity is the standard. In this interview, he opens up about the heartbreak-fuelled pulse of Broken Piano, the intimate electricity of his live shows, and the broader mission powering FLOWCEx Music. There’s no PR gloss or industry fluff here—just an artist building a legacy out of grief, grit, and grassroots growth. From the Kickstarter campaign that’s setting the stage for a wider movement to the way each show becomes a live-wire retelling of personal rebirth, Johnny offers a candid and compelling glimpse into what it really means to be a modern DIY artist with a message. Whether you’re new to his music or already part of the VIBE sessions, this is one read that’s worth sticking with to the final note.

Welcome to A&R Factory, JohnnyTheWidower! Your passion for raw, authentic music shines through in everything you do, from your weekly VIBE sessions to the Kickstarter campaign for Broken Piano. Let’s dig into your upcoming tour, the live experience, and what fans can expect. Broken Piano is shaping up to be a major milestone for you. With your upcoming shows, how are you bringing the album to life on stage?  

The album comes to life as a story—a journey through loss, loneliness, and heartbreak, but also resilience and rebirthBroken Piano is deeply emotional, but it also lays the foundation for my next album, JTW Come Alive, which represents that turning point—stepping out of the darkness and into light.

On stage, I want the audience to feel that transformation. The scene opens dark and intimate—a dimly lit bluesy setting with an upright piano, upright bass, drums, and guitar quartet. There’s a bottle of whiskey on the piano, shot glasses on the table, cigars in the air. That’s where I introduce “My Lady Is Gone”, the song that truly defines JohnnyTheWidower.

From there, the emotion deepens with “I Never Let Go”, the second single from Broken Piano, followed by “Be My Friend”, a song from my COVID Universe album that shifts the mood toward connection and hope.

This set isn’t just about performing songs—it’s about immersing the audience in my world, taking them through the pain, but also showing them the strength to move forward.

VIBE has been a big part of how you connect with listeners. Do you see your live performances expanding on that, or will they bring something completely different to the table?

Expansion, without a doubt. If you check out my YouTube channel, you’ll see that I’ve already started building something bigger—I’ve done two episodes of JohnnyTheWidower: The Reality Series, I host open mic events, and heck, I even do Shakespeare!

VIBE has been about connecting with listeners in an authentic way, and my live performances will only elevate that experience. The energy, the storytelling, the raw emotion—it’s all about bringing people into my world in real time.

Moving forward, I’m evolving VIBE with new segments to deepen that connection:

Musicians Speak – A platform where studio musicians and struggling band members can share their journeys, talk about their grind, and promote their work.

The Healing Power of Music – A holistic segment where we’ll meditate and explore how music can heal, uplift, and transform lives.

At the core of everything I do, whether it’s VIBE or my live performances, the goal remains the same: to create an experience that resonates, inspires, and connects people through music.

You’ve taken a hands-on approach with mixing My Lady Is Gone but are pushing for professional mastering for the album. How does performing these tracks live help you refine their final sound?

It’s all part of the creative process. Mixing My Lady Is Gone myself was an important step, but when it comes to mastering the full album, I need fresh ears on it. It’s like being a doctor—you don’t want to be the one diagnosing and treating your own condition. I’ve been hands-on with my music for years, but this time, I want outside expertise to make sure Broken Piano reaches its full potential.

For a long time, my music was stagnant, and I know that’s due to one of two things:
1️-Lack of marketing and promotion (which I strongly believe is the issue)
2️-Mixing & mastering quality (which could play a role, but I won’t know until I remove that variable)

That’s why I’m making the investment in professional mixing and mastering—to eliminate doubt and give these songs the best chance to shine.

And hey, if you know anyone who’ll do it on spec—send them my way!

Is there a particular song from Broken Piano that you think will take on a life of its own in a live setting?

Absolutely—“Somebody’s Gonna Win, Somebody’s Gonna Lose” is built for the live stage.

It’s a blues jam session at its core—loose, raw, and unpredictable. This is one of those songs that can go on and onbecause every time I perform it, it takes on a new energy. I swear, I’ve never played it the same way twice—which my guitarist loves because he gets to rock out, but my drummer and bassist? Not so much.

But that’s the beauty of it. In a live setting, this song breathes—it becomes its own thing. And the audience feels that freedom, that spontaneity, that real musicianship happening in the moment.

When Broken Piano hits the stage, this track is gonna be a show-stopper.

 With FLOWCEx Music in motion, do you see your upcoming gigs as a platform for showcasing other artists under your wing, or will the focus be on cementing your own presence first?

I’m only as good as my roster—my team. My project is out front right now because it was the most cost-effective wayto set the stage for FLOWCEx Music.

Since September 2024, I’ve produced:

 Two full albums (8 tracks each) on myself

 A 10-track compilation featuring 8 different artists

If I had tried to launch with another artist first, I’d still be working on one album—and I would have spent twice as much already.

This was strategic—I needed to establish the standard, create the blueprint, and launch a promotional campaign that will eventually filter other artists through the pipeline.

So when I perform, if my artists are available, they’re on that stage with me. Every time. Because FLOWCEx Music is bigger than just me—it’s a movement.

You’ve got the Kickstarter running alongside the tour. How much has the crowdfunding experience shaped your approach to engaging with fans?

Right now, my touring is local out of practicality—we’re a startup label, so I’m not booked on a national tour… yet. But that doesn’t mean I’m not making strategic moves to expand my presence.

I perform regularly at Kingston Public House, a whiskey bar in Brooklyn, and this spring/summer, I’ll be hitting Prospect Park at the BandShell.

Beyond that, as the creator of Performing Artists in Real Estate—a group of artists who also sell real estate—I’ll be performing at our monthly mixers, tapping into a network that blends business, art, and entertainment.

And I’m always on the hunt for bigger stages. I plan to throw my name in the hat for opening slots at major venues like The Barclays Center, Billie Holiday Theatre, Madison Square Garden, and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

That’s where the Kickstarter and marketing push come in. This campaign—and interviews like this—aren’t just about funding. They’re about building visibility and momentum. The more people engage with my movement, the more leverage I have to secure bigger opportunities and bring FLOWCEx Music to a wider audience.

What’s the one thing you want people walking away from your shows feeling—whether they’re hearing you live for the first time or they’ve been following you since day one?

Music is meant to make you feel good—but nowadays, a lot of it vibrates at an aggressive frequency. When you come to my show or listen to my music, I don’t want you to feel aggressive—I want you to feel happy, warm, loved, inspired, amused, and thoroughly entertained.

I want to make you smile and cry at the same time. I want to tell a story that keeps you riveted, one that stays with you long after the last note fades.

Most importantly, I want my audience to feel loved. When I cook for people, I do it with love—choosing the best ingredients for the most flavorful outcome. I approach music the same way. Every lyric, every melody, every performance—it’s all crafted to nourish the soul.

That’s what I want people walking away with—an experience they’ll never forget.

Beyond the gigs lined up now, what’s the bigger vision for your career? 

My bigger vision is to run FLOWCEx Music as a full-fledged independent label. Right now, I’m out front, performing and pushing the movement, but ultimately, I want to fall back from constant gigging and shift my focus to mentorship, artist development, and strategic growth for the label.

The young, hungry artists on my roster? I want them gigging non-stop. That’s what they want, and that’s what I want for them. My job is to make sure they have the right opportunities, the right support, and the right platform to shine.

At my core, I’m a builder and a guide. I’ve walked this path, I know the struggles, and I want to pave the way for the next generation. FLOWCEx Music isn’t just about me—it’s about creating a legacy of independent artists thriving on their own terms.

Stream JohnnyTheWidower’s latest single on Bandcamp now.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Beyond the Pale – Wayside’s Siren Call to the Void

Dusk to Dawn by Wayside

There’s nothing nostalgic about Wayside’s return—this is a band that never forgot how to bite. With Beyond the Pale, the Minneapolis rock veterans prove their alchemic chemistry hasn’t dulled in their years away; if anything, the formula has been refined into something even more potent.

Dripping in that alt-90s swagger—the kind that seeps into the synapses like a down-and-dirty aphrodisiac—Beyond the Pale pulls you under with primal rhythmic force. Pull away, and you’re left with a stark meditation on life’s only certainty: change. More often than not, those shifts pull us deeper into despair, a truth relayed through smoky, velvety vocal lines that ooze indie rock and roll charisma.

Imagine Velvet Revolver and The Black Keys stepping into uncharted sonic territory, and you’ll get an idea of what Wayside have delivered here. They aren’t just reviving the sound that landed them on the 2002 Vans Warped Tour—they’re letting the years since carve new depths into their songwriting. With their full-length LP, Dusk to Dawn, set to drop in April, it’s clear that their road-worn reflections have given them more to say than ever.

Wayside’s resurgence isn’t about reliving the past—it’s about proving they’ve still got the muscle to pull listeners into the undertow. And if Beyond the Pale is any indication, they’ve got plenty more where that came from.

Stream Beyond the Pale on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JohnnyTheWidower’s ‘My Lady is Gone’ Rains Soul into the Blues

Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

JohnnyTheWidower, AKA The Solar Guy, doesn’t just touch on loss in My Lady is Gone—he lets it simmer, steeping every note in raw feeling without letting the weight drag the groove down. The Brooklyn-based songwriter, producer, and engineer channels blues, R&B, and afrobeat into a smoky, jazz-kissed atmosphere that feels less like a structured composition and more like a session that caught fire in real time.

With a cohesiveness that gives the impression of a seasoned band rather than a solo project, the track makes space for fluidity without sacrificing precision. The instrumentation carries the kind of ease that can only come from instinct, stripping back the years to a time when music was created for catharsis, not marketability. It’s indulgent without excess, hitting that rare sweet spot where musicianship and emotion are balanced without tipping too far in either direction.

For those tired of surface-level soundscapes, JohnnyTheWidower delivers oceanic depths, leading listeners further out before hitting them with a visceral crescendo in the outro. It’s impossible to walk away unaffected.

 My Lady is Gone is available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Beatdown Saints – All The Sinners: A Baptism in Blues-Soaked Rock

If you like your rock how you like your whiskey—unadulterated and smooth-pouring—you’ll easily acquire a taste for the low-down and dirty bluesy melodic grooves of Beatdown Saints. With a unique ability to tie your soul in knots when the vocal lines ascend atop of the guitars which pour gasoline over the tighter-than-a-straitjacket instrumental arrangementAll The Sinners is a reminder that rock doesn’t need a reinvention when it’s played with this level of conviction.

Taking cues from the Black Crowes, Grateful Dead, and Gov’t Mule, Beatdown Saints don’t just tip their hats to blues-driven rock—they make it their own with raw energy and jam-band spontaneity. The powerhouse trio of Mike Setzer, Todd Kasper, and Marc Berger deliver a sound that’s as unapologetically fierce as it is fluid, built for both smoky barroom stages and festival spotlights.

With Setzer’s road-worn experience alongside legends like Mike Pinera and Jack Russell, Kasper’s hard-hitting drumming pedigree, and Berger’s incendiary guitar work, Beatdown Saints refuse to play it safe. All The Sinners is a full-throttle showcase of their ability to walk the line between tight musicianship and the reckless abandon that keeps blues rock alive.

Save your rhythmic pulses from damnation and hit play—All The Sinners is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ged Wilson Spins Everyman Blues into Gold with Regular Man

Like a TARDIS hurling you back to a time when jazz blues grooves knew how to scintillate the soul, Ged Wilson’s latest single, Regular Man, isn’t just another exercise in virtuosity—it’s the sound of an artist who has lived every note. The track carries all the gravitas of a blues lifer, but it is Wilson’s effortless ability to channel boy-next-door charisma through velvety vocal lines that allows him to scribe gold with his sonic signature.

Cheltenham-based but proudly carrying his Mancunian roots, Wilson has spent years pushing the boundaries of the British blues scene, fusing the grit of Lightnin’ Hopkins with the poetic dexterity of Gil Scott-Heron and the warmth of Santana. Regular Man, lifted from his upcoming album of the same name, distils those influences into a track that makes even monotony feel rich with possibility. Swanky in tone and seraphic in execution, it’s a vignette of life’s quieter moments, spun with a nostalgia-laced charm that makes it all too easy to follow Wilson wherever he goes next.

With his feet firmly planted in tradition but his gaze set forward, Wilson isn’t just another bluesman—he’s a “bluesifier,” as adept at breathing contemporary life into the genre as he is at honouring its past. Signed to Bad Monkey Records and supported by Help Musicians, he’s bringing his innovative style to an ever-widening audience.

Regular Man is available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jason Patrick X Interview: Striking the First Chord on His Own Terms

Jason Patrick X

With a debut album that refuses to be boxed into a single genre and a musical philosophy shaped by everything from Berklee College of Music to his time in the Army, Jason Patrick X arrives with a sound that’s both studied and instinctive. His approach to songwriting leans into emotion over formula, and his ability to intersect rock, blues, and unexpected influences keeps his music authentically unpredictable In this interview, he discusses the moment that ignited his songwriting ambitions, the lessons he’s carried from his military career into his music, and the personal mission driving his creativity. Whether you’re a fan of guitar-driven anthems or curious about the mindset of a musician crafting his own lane, this conversation is one to read.

Jason Patrick X, welcome to A&R Factory! With your debut single and album set to make waves this year, there’s a lot to unpack about your music, background, and approach to songwriting. We’d love to explore what has shaped your artistry and what listeners can expect from your upcoming releases. 

Absolutely. I appreciate you giving me the chance to do that.

You’ve been playing guitar for three decades and started taking songwriting seriously about ten years ago. What was the turning point that made you shift from playing to writing, and how did your approach evolve over time? 

You know, there was a moment that I remember at a young age, around 13 or so, where I heard an uncle of mine playing a song he had recorded on a cassette in his car. He ran a recording studio out of his garage. And I thought to myself, “I think I could do that.” But I guess the idea had to marinate in my brain for a couple of decades before I finally tried it. There was one fateful day, when I was at my brother’s house for a birthday party. He’s a computer guy, and he was showing me this new software he just picked up called Fruity Loops. It was my first exposure to recording music on a computer. He showed me the basics of how to navigate the software and map out instrument sounds, then I completely disappeared from the party for a few hours. When I finally emerged, I had composed a complete sketch of a song. That was the moment when I figured out that I had something to say that needed to come out.

It took quite a few years of dabbling in it when I had time, realizing that I didn’t really know what I was doing, and enrolling into the Berklee College of Music for four years so they could help me discover myself and develop into the songwriter and producer that I am today. I am a firm believer that Mastery is a goal that is always just out of reach. It’s not a destination where you finally arrive. There’s always another level, a new thing that you can learn, a new skill that you can acquire. I am infinitely better in all aspects of music today than I was four years ago. This is only the beginning of that evolution. I imagine that in four more years, I’ll be making that same statement about today.

Rock and Blues are at the core of your sound, but you’ve played across multiple genres. How do those varied influences manifest in your music, and do you consciously lean into certain styles, or does it happen naturally 

This will be an interesting answer. There was a time when I thought that those genres needed to be kept in separate buckets. Like, today I’m a blues guitarist, tomorrow I’ll be a Latin musician, and next week I’ll be a metal guy. But the more I learned and experimented, the more fascinated I became with the bleedover between these various styles. And I think it is really cool having so many different angles that I can look at the same thing. Maybe see what this gospel progression might sound like pushed to 10 on a screaming hard rock guitar. Or, hey, I wonder what it would sound like mixing a Reggaeton beat with Texas Blues?

There are times when I make those conscious decisions just to push my limits and do some experimenting. But when I get into a track, things happen a lot more organically. Everything I do, I try to do in service to that particular song so that my audience feels something through my music. Many times, I’ll find those influences from other genres slipped their way into a song I was working on after the fact for that very reason. But at the end of the day, if you listen to one of my songs and don’t feel something, as far as I’m concerned, I failed.

As a retired Army Soldier, did your time in service impact your songwriting, either in terms of discipline, perspective, or even the stories you tell in your lyrics? 

Oh, most definitely. The Army taught me a lot. They trained me to pay attention to small details while still keeping the bigger picture in mind. They also taught me how to adapt to changing circumstances since life is always a dynamic thing that you can’t predict. I think all the things I learned in the Army play a role in how I approach music. But more than anything else is a “you don’t stop until the mission is complete” attitude. That’s the whole reason I now have three college degrees, and I’m set to release my debut album. I feel very confident that as my listeners start absorbing my music, they will find nods to my time in the military in the lyrics. What can I say, the Army played a major role in who I am today in all aspects of my life.

You recently completed both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in songwriting from Berklee College of Music. What was the most surprising lesson you learned about your own songwriting process during your studies?

Yeah. There were so many takeaways from that experience, but I’ll give you two. One that was echoed by almost every professor I had was, “It’s tools, not rules.” Whether it’s music theory, scales, chord progressions, or whatever rigid thing, you sometimes get too wrapped up in trying to do things the “right way.” We tend to take that to mean following all the rules, which invariably make things too formulaic. This takes all of the soul out of a song. And akin to that was something I know I heard from Prince Charles Alexander, Bonnie Hayes, and Valerie Orth during my time at Berklee. You walk away from Berklee having all this newfound knowledge forgetting that simplicity is where it’s at. Attending Berklee makes you feel like you now have to impress the world with this newfound enlightenment by cramming every little thing you’ve learned into every song you work on.

What I had to keep drilling into my brain was that learning all of that technique is only the first step. That’s learning what the rules are. The second step is, now that you know the rules, you also know how to break the rules, which is the essence of “it’s tools, not rules.” And then the bigger part is that we are making these songs mostly for people who aren’t professional musicians. That’s the people we are servicing, people who just love music. If you make things too complicated by cramming too much into a song, all you’re doing is making the song too complicated for someone other than another musician to enjoy. In other words, the simpler, the better. And if you think about it, it’s true. Most of the biggest hit songs over the last 50 years masterfully employ some of the simplest things to make the most memorable songs ever. And that, amazingly, is one of the hardest things for us as songwriters, musicians, or any creative person to do. Know when to not use that cool guitar riff or drum part that you’re so proud of because it’s actually making the song worse.

With two teenage sons who are also looking to pursue music, what’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve given them about navigating this path, especially as someone who’s lived through multiple phases of the industry?

What I try to impart to them is to always remember why you’re doing this. It’s your passion. It’s what drives you. Because there are going to be obstacles, problems, people who tell you no, times when you want to give up, and situations where you have to get creative to get out of life what you want. But if you always remember that burning fire inside you to make other people feel something through what you do, it will be what motivates you when you want to give up. In other words, never forget your “Why.” The reason why you have to do this thing. The reason why it is the only thing you can see yourself doing with the limited time you have on this spinning rock we call Earth.

Metallica, Prince, Queen, Michael Jackson, N.W.A., Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimi Hendrix are just a few of the artists who have shaped your musical DNA. If you could sit down with any one of them for a conversation, who would you choose, and what would you ask?

Since a lot of them are dead, any one of them could explain to me what happens after death, lol. No, seriously, I would have loved to sit down with Prince before he died. That guy was such a Renaissance man when it came to music. He was extremely skilled in most of it. Something I aspire to myself. I would love to sit with him for a day and have him explain his creative process to me as he was doing it in real time. I think that would have been eye-opening.

Having spent most of your life in South Louisiana, how much does the local music scene and culture seep into your sound, and do you see yourself as a reflection of that musical heritage?

As far as the musical aspects go, without a doubt. From the great musicians that came from Baton Rouge, where I’m from, to the sweet sounds of New Orleans. My grandmother is from the New Orleans area, so NOLA and the sounds of its music scene down Frenchman Street, at Tipitina’s, and just on street corners in the French Quarter have always inspired me and soothed my soul. It’s a very unique sound unto itself. Nothing is quite like New Orleans Blues, Jazz, or even New Orleans Bounce, for that matter. Obviously, I have a lot of influences from a lot of areas, but I think it all started with the sounds of the bayou. I’ve even had people tell me that they had a feeling I was from Louisiana just by the way I play guitar.

With this being your debut album, do you feel a sense of freedom in introducing yourself on your own terms, or do you feel pressure to establish a particular identity from the start?

Freedom definitely. And I have Berklee, and more specifically Patrick Ermlich, to thank for that. What they helped me do was define my musical vision and then turn that vision into an entire brand image. I’ve actually never been more sure about who I am as a songwriter, musician, producer, or artist than I am right now. As far as I’m concerned, the identity, as it exists right now, is solidified. Now, it’s just a matter of people discovering it. I consider myself to be the next iteration of the Gen X sound. I think it takes an actual Gen Xer like me to truly capture the essence of the experiences my generation lived through. And there just aren’t enough new artists out there servicing us and what we grew up on. So I almost feel as if it’s my obligation to bring my fellow Gen Xers and those who are Gen X adjacent something familiar, but in a new way. And the best way to see what that embodiment looks like is to check out my website. I’m not in any way, shape or form a web designer, lol. But I spent a whole lot of time figuring out how to put one together. And I ended up with a product that I’m proud to say I created. So go check it out at www.jasonpatrickx.com. And sign up for my newsletter so you can stay on top of what’s going on as this story unfolds.

Looking beyond this album, what are your bigger ambitions in music? Do you see yourself continuing to push your sound in new directions, or is there a particular musical goal you’ve always had your sights set on? 

I actually already have plans in the works for a second album that I’m hoping to have ready in 2026. I would like to follow up this initial project with more material that will help further define my sound to my listeners. I imagine there will always be some element of guitarwork in what I do. It has been one constant throughout my life. But I do want to push myself. One thing we can always depend on is change. Nothing ever stays the same. And even though I’ve been around for a while, I still want to see who I am as an artist and songwriter continue to evolve over time.

One other area where I see myself doing that is in the sync space, writing music to be synchronized with live action. You know, like movies, TV, video games, ads, etc. If you think about it, the movie by itself is not half as exciting as the movie synced to some dramatic piece of music that accentuates what’s happening. I find that to be a fascinating way of mixing artistic mediums, and I want in. Stream Jason Patrick X’s album on Spotify from March 14. Until then, connect with the artist via Instagram and Facebook.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Jo James sparked an insurgence of soul with his vintage-toned blues rock earworm, Peace of Mind

Jo James

With heartfelt plaudits from John Legend and a wave of other admirers, it almost seems certain that whatever Jo James touches will turn to aural gold. The raw power, panache, and precision in the bluesy vintage-toned outburst of rock-licked soul in ‘Peace of Mind’ reveal the depth of his reverence for blues rock.

His ability to electrify senses you never knew existed is unmatched, as is his ability to teasingly pace his songwriting, leaving you on tenterhooks for the next cultivated blast of overdriven rock euphoria. Once you’re through the track, the track will be far from through with you, the infectious melody becomes a compulsion, urging you to revisit the single’s radioactively emotional core.

Beyond the studio, Jo James demonstrates a natural talent for songwriting and commanding a crowd, whether he’s headlining heavyweight stages or pouring heartfelt intensity into more intimate venues. Blending blues, soul, and rock ’n’ roll, he has graced line-ups alongside Dr. John, Leon Russell, and Robert Randolph & the Family Band. He has also lent his guitar chops to Capitol Records’ Fletcher and made waves on Season 17 of NBC’s The Voice.

You can get some ‘Peace of Mind’ when the single officially launches on February 21st.

Find your preferred way to listen via Jo James’ website and keep up to date with the artist’s latest releases via Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Saint Senara’s ‘Lost Lisa Marie’: Where Sothern Gothic Folk Blues and Ghosts Collide

Saint Senara

Saint Senara’s latest single, Lost Lisa Marie, demonstrates the award-winning singer-songwriter duo’s unrelenting commitment to crafting southern gothic folk with depth and distinction. Since their 2020 inception, their evolution has led to a sound that combines blues rock’s raw intensity, folk’s piercingly poetic imagery, and the atmospheric richness of Americana.

The haunting arrangement in Lost Lisa Marie invites listeners into a vivid sonic panorama. Blues rock guitars, distorted crescendos, and angular riffs collide to create an audibly tactile experience. As the powerhouse chanteuse’s vocals re-emerge over the brash blues-rock climax, her delivery cuts through the chaos with grace, grounding the intensity in rich, emotive clarity.

Far removed from the pitfalls of pastiche, Saint Senara imbue their sound with authenticity and power, allowing Lost Lisa Marie to unfold like a narrative in motion, leaving space for reflection as much as visceral connection.

For fans of blues-soaked Americana and raw poetic intensity, this is a track that will leave your pulse racing out of rhythm and your finger hovering over the replay button. Off the back of their successful headline shows in 2024, Lost Lisa Marie is both a standalone triumph and a stepping stone towards what promises to be an uncompromising future.

Lost Lisa Marie will be available to stream on all platforms from January 31st. Find your preferred way to listen via the band’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast