Hailing from Austin, Texas by way of West Point, Mississippi, critically acclaimed Americana and roots-rock/pop singer, songwriter, and producer, JM Stevens returns three years after his well-received solo debut, Invisible Lines. Releasing in April 2024, the 10-song Nowhere to Land is an overall mellower, more vulnerable record than its predecessor, though still speckled with some up-tempo rockers. It’s a thoughtful album further set apart by Stevens’ nuanced songcraft, intimate vocals, and organic production.

 DittyTV praised Stevens as, “In that sweet spot of pop-rock represented by guys like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, John Cafferty, Tom Petty, [and] Don Henley,” while The Big Takeover noted how his “Supremely tasteful arrangements keep excess far at bay.”

 From contemplative, optimistic opener “Dry Creek” and the more jaunty but no less questioning title track, it’s a record that preserves the raw emotions of Stevens’ songcraft through admirably restrained production. “I wanted to keep it real open,” he said. “And it sometimes sounds bigger that way, because there’s more space to sink into, more room to breathe.” 

 Pangs of love, loss and loneliness punctuate Nowhere to Land’s bouts of doubt, jealousy, and recurring hope. Songs search for that old spark as lovers grow apart but often, tempered by empathy, resolve into acceptance and letting go. “After the Storm” came to Stevens almost fully formed while out running in the wake of Texas’ infamous 2021 ice storm, while fellow standout “Cherry Sunburst” takes doing whatever it took to acquire a coveted guitar as a metaphor for losing our senses in all manner of other situations. 

Catch Stevens on tour in 2024 supporting Nowhere to Land.

Album Release Show

Susan Gibson knows all about blessings. Roundabout 28 years ago, she wrote herself a wish that grew up and went off on its own to become one of the biggest country songs of all time. Smiling at its success from afar, Gibson went on to happily live her own best life, free to hit the open road with a van full of happy dogs and a heart full of songs to share with attentive audiences across the country — and all the room in the world to "make the big mistakes" that a wide-eyed dreamer kinda gal could ever ask for. 

 All that said, though, Gibson is not a lives-in-la-la-land kinda dreamer. Blessed as she's been, the award-winning songwriter also knows all too well that in the real world, sometimes there's just no avoiding "the hard stuff." Mind, not the kind she consciously swore off way back on Valentine's Day, 2010; after nine years of humble sobriety, it's easy enough, relatively speaking, for her to resist the temptation of a bottle of wine at a friend's table or politely decline the occasional unasked-for drink sent to the stage by a fan. But positive life choices and willpower alone offer no proof or protection against the kind of knock-you-on-your-butt shots that life itself can serve up on the regular. The best you can do, she's learned, is take each hit as it comes, get back up again, and try to find your wits and center of gravity before the next wallop lands. Because as sure as hearts break, van transmissions fail, and loved ones (both two- and four-legged) pass on, you can always count on another one coming.

Buddy Mondlock writes songs. He does it so well that some great songwriters have recorded his songs on their own albums. Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, and Janis Ian, to name just a few. You might’ve heard his song “The Kid” (recorded by David Wilcox, Peter, Paul and Mary and Cry, Cry, Cry) and maybe even sung it yourself around a campfire. He draws you into his world - where a single snowflake follows the trajectory of a relationship, where you get your pocket picked by a Roman cat, where you might swim over the edge of the world if you’re not careful and where dreams that don’t come true still count.

His latest album, Filament, finds him exploring some new territory, both sonically and rhythmically. Produced by Brad Jones, known for his creative approaches to singer/songwriters, songs like “Problem Solved” and “Sunlight In My Pocket” are propelled along by drums and percussion. Others are painted with woodwinds and string arrangements. Buddy is at heart a storyteller and the songs cover a lot of territory too, ranging from a young artist who finds fame too soon in the title song, to the wonders and mysteries found in “The Dark,” a song he co-wrote with the great Guy Clark.

Houston-area native, Mary Hammer has performed a wide variety of genres since she was old enough to hold a mic. In venues stretching from the Heart of Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, she’s sung from a catalog of folk, Americana, and country-western staples with her sister, Betsy Lee. Recently, Hammer has honed her songwriter chops around town both on her own and in a group called Mermaid Junction with her sister and other local artists. Hammer has polished her natural, humorous, and down-to-earth presence that leaves crowds wondering whether she’s been reading their mail while she’s pulling equal parts laughter and tears from their collective souls.

The New Braunfels native has music in his blood, which flows nightly through his deep, Cash-like baritone into his instantly recognizable songs. Though many people claim Townes Van Zandt influences, the mark on Barrow is more indelible.  One of his favorite stories to tell is when his father (Mike Burrow) hosted Richard Dobson, John Lomax III, and Townes near the old Exit/In in Nashville where Van Zandt insisted the foursome become blood brothers to remain cosmically linked. The tale has been a guiding light and philosophy behind the songs on his latest album, Blood Brothers, which pay homage to his musical roots, while honoring his familial duties as a husband and father.