Acclaimed LA band the Americans have recently released their new EP “Strays,” which proves to be an outstanding collection of songs, blending both memoir and fiction, which have the ability to inspire you to reflect back on your own life and transport you to places which may well be long gone or at best a very distant memory.

The Americans are truly carving out a path for themselves as a renowned mainstay in the roots and Americana scene. The release follows the critically acclaimed album “Stand True,” from 2022, and it’s a very deliberate move towards a more refined sound than previous releases. 

Indeed, this album is very much a man, his guitar, and his reminiscences, although frontman Patrick Ferris is joined by Zac Sokolow (guitar), and Jake Faulkner (bass), in an engaging and understated way bandmates which gives the release a whole new level and depth to his passionate lyricism. 

“We write our songs inside-out,” says Patrick. “We grab hold of something minuscule and primitive—a simple turn of phrase or an unusual beat—and try to build a song around it. It’s inefficient, but when it works, it works.”

Songs such as “Kingdom” are wrapped up in a sense of longing and yearning, with the guitars echoing in the background really tugging at the heart strings. 

“When You Get Back” the lead single from the release is another beautifully contemplative song which helps to set the intimate tone for the EP.

The Americans theme of nostalgic reflection is brought to the forefront within each on the release.

Their live show, honed over many hundreds of performances, is something to behold. Chris Griffy (AXS) calls them “straight up blue-collar rock and roll in the style of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.” Steve Wildsmith (Daily Times) admires their “antThe band’s distinctive, powerful works have captured the attention of a number of stars. They’ve backed Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart, and joined Ryan Bingham on four national tours. They worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett, joining Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes in the PBS/BBC primetime series American Epic. They have appeared on The Late Show (CBS), and their music was featured in the films Texas Killing Fields, A Country Called Home, Little Glory, and the TV series No Tomorrow.

“Strays” is an outstanding collection of inspiring and emotive songs which demands repeated listens to dig deeper into each of the scenes and memories it depicts. The group has captured such a specific instance, which makes the release all the more captivating.

“Strays” is an album which will most definitely stand the test of time and may well prove to be a defining moment in the life of The Americans and their musical career.

Jennifer Harper often receives musical inspiration from water, but her acoustic adult contemporary “Mary Magdalene” in particular is a stand out moment for her. While at the pool ready to do her laps, her mind drifts to the song prompt of the week in her songwriting circle. She was set on doing the assignment about Joan of Arc, but suddenly, she received different messages. She heard the words “I want you to know who I am. I want you to know who I am. I’m Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene. It’s time that you know my name. It’s time that you know my name, complete with melody as it is in the finished version. Taken by surprise, she shared it with the songwriting circle where it was well received. Although quite a spiritual experience to receive the message, she didn’t think it was enough to stand alone as a musical piece. She sang it to a spiritual mentor who encouraged her to share the message she was given. “Well, it took me a long time to do anything about it,” shares Jennifer. “What did I know of Mary Magdalene? Not much honestly. What the message meant to me, however, I did know. It felt like a message about the power of women being hidden for so long. And it was time now to bring that to an end. It was Mary saying to all of us – I want you to find this power within: ‘Know who I am.’ Don’t hide your power anymore: ‘say my name.’” It’s a message to believe in our power. Speak out. And know we are all connected in love. “I am more of a messenger,” she continues. “For other women like me who are only dipping their toes in. Not quite ready to take the plunge into the cold water.” 

Story behind the song: I was at the swimming pool where I always do laps. Ready to swim my mile. Toes dipped in the water to test the temperature, about to ease myself in slowly. It’s always a peaceful moment for me where everything slows down as I switch gears out of a busy day. I often go at sunset and it feels blissful and magical. On this particular day, I turned my thoughts for a moment to the song prompt of the week in my songwriting circle. To write a song about a historical figure. I had decided on Joan of Ark. No sooner did I turn my thoughts there – I hear a voice that was clear as day seeming to almost shine down on me. “I want you to know who I am. I want you to know who I am. I’m Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene”. “It’s time that you know my name. It’s time that you know my name”. Complete with melody as it is in the finished version. Oftentimes I receive musical “downloads” in water – but this one really took me by surprise as I had the full intention to write about Joan of Ark. This felt like a direct transmission from Mary Magdalene. When I brought it to my song circle, the women were deeply moved and encouraged me to record the song. Although quite a spiritual experience to receive the message, I wouldn’t have thought to record it. When I sang it for a spiritual mentor of mine at the time, her response helped me understand the potency more fully and that others needed to hear it. However, I was swayed by my inner voice – who am I to bring a message from Mary Magdalene? It’s taken a lot of courage to share this with the world and I put it off for quite a while. Although I’m not well versed on her life and teachings, I do know there are a lot of women on spiritual paths at this time – connecting with her, channeling her and following her ancient wisdom. It’s clear she has been misunderstood, slandered, and her influence hidden throughout history. I started reading a bit about her historical role and was fascinated by stories of her sacred sexual powers. Perhaps she came to me as I am not on a spiritual path following her. I can’t help but notice the symbolism and wonder if it’s a message for women like me who are dipping toes in. Not quite ready to take the plunge into the cold water. It felt like a call to connect with divine feminine energy. Mary saying to all of us – I want you to find this power within: “Know who I am”. Don’t hide your power anymore: “say my name”. Personally, the healing frequency permeated my being and has continued to grow. So here I am – embodying the wisdom that it’s safe to be in my full power – which includes guiding others, overcoming fear and speaking out about my experiences. I chose Tom Rossi to produce the song as he is a music healer. He brought the delicate touch I was hoping for. We added cello, bass, synths and beautiful backing vocals to complete the musical message. Tom encouraged me to add more lyrics which I’m grateful for. I brought it to him as a mantra – and left with a much more complete song. He gave me lyric ideas, but I was quite clear what message Mary was bringing and what she wasn’t bringing. So even then – I felt her guiding me. Ultimately, I trust what came through and I’m happy with the sound we created. It is my hope that you feel the purity of the frequency as it was transmitted to me. And perhaps it will inspire you to illuminate your own Magdalene light. 

Victoria Staff writes music for the same reasons she runs and bakes and hangs out with friends and family – it makes her feel better. Like many people, she struggles with her mental health. Writing music has always supported that because it gave her a way to process complex emotions at a really young age. 

Some relationships are just inherently toxic and messy, but that’s the fun of them. There’s no logical reason for those two people to be together but you find yourself caught in a merry-go-round of stupid, repeating your same mistakes until you’re not even sure how you got there. That is what Victoria’s song “Here We Go Again” is all about.  

The five songs on the Records & Honesty EP were produced by Dan Hosh. It’s right there in the title – Victoria invites listeners to get to know her and hear about her honest life experiences over the past few years. 

Following up on the release of “Winnebago Dreams,” Dan Pallotta’s escapist reflection on carefree summer road tripping, the artist is sharing his new single, “The Man That Fortune Forgot.”

Empathetic and humorous, the storytelling at the heart of this folk song reflects on the feelings of self-pity and victimhood that we all experience at one time or another. The song comes from his forthcoming album, Winnebago Dreams, out November 17th.

“I’m really careful about NEVER saying, “just my luck,” when something bad or annoying happens, because that shit becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” says Pallotta. “But you can’t help feeling it sometimes, even if you’re good about not verbalizing it.”

“The Man That Fortune Forgot” marks Pallotta’s second collaboration with Soozie Tyrell of E Street Band fame on fiddle and bassist Tony Garnier, music director for Bob Dylan.

Reflecting on the character at the centre of this song, Pallotta explains that “we all feel like we’re ‘the’ person — the only person that is forgotten — sometimes. And he feels trapped. He’s not committed to life being this way and he even tries the path of gratitude, but even that doesn’t work out for him.

So you end up having a lot of empathy for the poor bastard, which, of course, leads you to have a lot of empathy for yourself—that part of yourself that’s like him sometimes.”

Kalila Badali is an alternative folk/pop artist and registered psychotherapist based in Toronto, Canada. Kalila’s music invites her audience into an ethereal, yet groovy space with an intricate guitar picking style and vocal loops to explore the intersecting themes of mental illness, ecology, and feminism. 

Her song “Potato” deals with questions and anxieties around dying and spending time with loved ones before they die, but also wanting to hide and avoid the pain that comes with confronting loss. 

While the song name seems a bit silly at first, this upbeat banger is actually quite devastatingly sad. It’s a comfort food for Kalila, but also a bit of a symbol of pain and loss. It’s actually quite personal to her relationship with her family. 

“Potato” and four other songs including “Dotty Mae” and “No Eye Contact” are from her new EP, Panacea, produced by James Atin-Godden. For Kalila, the EP came together thematically by accident. She wanted to make something that captures the experience of being stuck and not knowing what to do to change circumstances and getting lost in the number of options that can “help.”

Listen via Bandcamp:

https://kalila.bandcamp.com/album/panacea

Always pushing himself creatively, Odario recently collaborated with Edmonton jazz group Good Information on “Do Nada,” a song about doing nothing. With the post-pandemic era seemingly ramped back up to speed, maybe even at a faster pace, “Do Nada” goes out to all the hopeless romantics in search of a simpler, uncomplicated lifestyle. It’s about taking a moment to reflect on a rapidly spinning world. In a society so caught up with overachieving, Odario has written an anthem for the beloved underachievers. Fuelled by summertime vibes and danceable flavour, the new Chaix remix incorporates even more dancefloor ready momentum.

“I wanted to inject new sonic energy into my single Do Nada, which is a song about doing nothing. Do Nada (Chaix Remix) is an apathetic dance track I made with Chaix, a multi-genre artist and beat maker from Toronto. Chaix’s sound sits comfortably between hip-hop, house, and experimental electronic. Chaix didn’t want his reimagination of Do Nada to feel laidback & chill… but alive & infectious. This song is crafted specifically for your solo apartment party, your night drive along the lonely highway or your day off spent next to the pool with a pair of headphones and an open schedule.”