SEND IT SOUTH

Evan Honer

A cross-country move to Nashville. An international touring schedule. A record label with 25 artists and more than 100 releases, all operating out of his living room. A recording studio built into his four-car garage. Evan Honer spent 2024 in a blur of momentum, expanding his life in all directions, playing nearly 100 shows in support of his second album, Fighting For, while writing new songs for its follow-up.

Only two years earlier, his cover of Tyler Childers’ “Jersey Giant” had become a viral juggernaut, earning more than 200 million streams and launching his music career. He was busy then, too, balancing his college classes with nighttime gigs as a solo act and daily practices with the school’s Division 1 swimming team. Things only intensified as school came to a close. Honer released the debut album West On I-10 on graduation day and quickly remade himself into a road warrior, balancing the challenges of early adulthood with an unbending commitment to music.

Then, one day, he learned to look around him and take stock of the present. Everything I Wanted finds Honer planting new roots in Nashville, his adopted hometown after a multi-year stint in Southern California. Recorded over 18 days in a garage studio that he built himself, it’s a homemade record with big-studio sparkle, its 13 songs emphasizing the indie and alternative-pop influences that have always lingered on the outskirts of his sound. Here, they’re moved to the forefront, pushing Honer beyond his roots as an acoustic Americana act and into something more eclectic and electrifying. There are string arrangements courtesy of a talented neighbor, Kate Stephenson. There are horn arrangements, pedal steel swells, and contributions from his roommates, too. At the center of that sound is Evan Honer himself: an acclaimed songwriter, storyteller, and bleeding-heart vocalist who, after years on the move, has learned to slow down a bit and appreciate the moment.

Adam Faucett 

Adam Faucett began performing solo in 2006 when the demise of Russellville, Arkansas-based band, Taught the Rabbits, pushed him toward Chicago. He returned to Arkansas in 2007 to record his first solo album, The Great Basking Shark, and began touring nationally. 2008’s Show Me Magic, Show Me Out followed, featuring Faucett’s band, The Tall Grass, and a relentless tour schedule soon led to shows with Jason Isbell, Damien Jurado and Lucero. 

JD Clayton

A native son of Arkansas, JD Clayton delivers a timeless form of country-rock that’s wholly the product of his environment: down-to-earth, deliberately unhurried, touched with a carefree ease that’s undeniably infectious. Over the past few years alone, he’s brought his crowd-thrilling show to tours with the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Parker McCollum, in addition to performing at major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Dreamy Draw and opening for artists like Hank Williams Jr., Brent Cobb, and Ashley McBryde. As a kid growing up in Fort Smith, Clayton got his start playing guitar (thanks to some guidance from his grandfather, who played banjo in a bluegrass band) and later took up piano, drums, banjo, harmonica, and ukulele, then released debut EP Smoke Out the Fire while still in college. After grinding it out in Nashville for several years (and making his full-length debut with 2023’s critically praised Long Way From Home), he returned to his hometown and immersed himself in creating an adventurous new album that soon led to his signing with Rounder Records. With equal parts soulful self-reflection and wildly colorful storytelling, Blue Sky Sundays immediately transports the audience into a world that moves at its own exhilarating rhythm—and ultimately reveals an artist of hard-won character and singular authenticity. 

Winyah 

Hailing from a small South Carolina beach town, Winyah emerged onto the music scene in early
2023 and has swiftly made their mark. They’ve shared stages with acclaimed artists such as The
Red Clay Strays, The Vegabonds and The Stews, while also shredding festivals like Bonnaroo.
Winyah’s live performances are a testament to their distinctive blend of indie and southern rock,
featuring electrifying guitar solos and soulful vocals reminiscent of icons like Led Zeppelin, The
Backseat Lovers, and flipturn.

The band draws its name from Winyah Bay, a cherished landmark in their hometown where all
five members spent their formative years. Their music is a reflection of the five rivers that
converge into Winyah Bay, capturing the eternal summer vibes of their coastal upbringing. On
the surface, Winyah delivers youthful energy and raw power, but their music also delves into
themes of nostalgia and the bittersweet longing for childhood memories and cherished places.

Rio Kosta 

As Mike Del Rio and Kosta Galanopoulos worked on the upcoming debut album from Rio Kosta, they compiled what they describe as a bible of aesthetic ideals to help guide their creative choices. And top of the list was a simple edict: “Don’t Fuck with Nature.” 

That desire to let things evolve in their own direction seeps into every element of the Rio Kosta experience. It’s been there from the very beginning, when Mike spotted Kosta soundchecking at a festival and soon discovered he had found the kind of friend that it’s almost unbelievable that you once didn’t know. And it’s especially present in their music. You can analyse the depth and breadth of the duo’s influences to death, but that’s no substitute for just hitting play and feeling it. Hypnotic grooves, sleek vocal harmonies in which two become one, and bass that hits you in the heart: Rio Kosta excel at music that simply makes you feel. 

Prior to meeting, the two multi-instrumentalists and songwriters had engaged in all manner of projects including bands, session work and collaborations. The connection was instant. “Kosta was playing a Juno synthesiser and drums at the same time, and he looked like George Harrison in a beanie,” smiles Mike. “I was like, this guy’s interesting.” Kosta returns the compliment: “He was looking all fly, this cat had like a vibration and an energy. I think we just dug each other’s aesthetic.” 

That was late in 2019, but with Covid lurking on the horizon it took a while for them to be able to cement that connection. It was worth the wait. The music they bonded over is staggering in its variety – in this conversation alone they reference everything from Jorge Ben and Idris Muhammed, to War, Ebo Taylor and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Just as vital was the liberation the project unlocked, with both sharing fond memories of being stoned at 2am on a Tuesday morning and being wowed by the vocal harmonies they were creating. 

“The chemistry was sacred and very natural and very quick,” notes Mike, citing his admiration for Kosta’s musicality and “With both of us being producers, we’ve been able to pseudo-produce each other in the project, which has been a very new and interesting experience. And we have both grown immensely from it as friends.”.   

The more time they spent together, the more they discovered a chain of what Mike calls “happy, bizarre accidents” that fed into the album process. It was also a time of fortuitous new beginnings. Aside from having the freedom to explore this new partnership, Kosta was also in the midst of a break-up (or in his words, a “life transition”).  And Mike had just moved into a bohemian home / studio / creative hub that was perfectly in tune with their vibes. The building, Hotel Havana, even had a storied heritage in the world of LA pop culture. It had previously been the home of hit ‘50s crooner turned bit-part ‘80s actor Dick Caruso, who lived in its garish Jimmy Buffet-meets-Liberace decor with his two boyfriends, and welcomed guests such as Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock. 

One of those accidents was the ultra-dreamy jam ‘Unicorn’, the final version of which included not only recordings from their first ever session together but also ended up being the last song to be fully completed. A product of those small hours sessions, ‘Ancients’ came from an even more unlikely place. It sampled a cassette recording of Kosta’s father’s Greek folk band from the ‘70s, which in turn inspired Mike to write cosmic lyrics playing on deja vu and the concept of past lives. Another song, ‘Mountain Top’, ended up as a dominant force of the record, providing a musical tapestry with elements of it woven into every other song. 

Yet as exhilaratingly smooth as Rio Kosta sound on record, it’s the live arena which is really their ballpark. You could visualise them lost in the moment as day drifts to night at Coachella, like spiritual cousins to Khruangbin, but you could just as equally imagine them amidst the psychedelic haze of the original Woodstock. So far, they’ve mostly played select shows around the Los Angeles area, but they’ve been highly impactful – their immersion in the local music community and their love of a little mystique making them a hot underground tip. 

It’s also a project that’s adaptable in format. A two-man version toured Europe, speaking to an eclectic Arena filled audience in Prague during their debut show. The sprawling six-person line-up provides an electrifying energy, as seen when they opened for Hot Chip at the Hollywood Palladium and sold out word of mouth headlining performances around LA. 

There’s also a global energy to Rio Kosta. Their sun-kissed sound echoes much of their respective heritages, with Kosta’s Greek background further flavoured by time in the Bahamas, and Mike being inspired by his Spanish and Italian roots, his time growing up in New York, and especially revisiting his identity following the passing of his Puerto Rican grandmother. Just as their music breaks free from genre constraints, their journey crosses borders without the need for a metaphorical passport. 

And now it’s time for Rio Kosta to take this exuberant, life-affirming experience to new lands, with Asia, South America and Europe on Kosta’s touring wishlist. Wherever they go, Mike is eager to keep sight of why they’re doing this. “I feel like chemistry is sacred, friendship is sacred, and if you have them both you need to protect it. That’s where we’re at right now.” 

Uncle Lucius 

In September of 2024 Uncle Lucius released Live from Ear Studio. Recorded live to tape at Ear Studioin Austin, TX the record features select singles from their latest LP Like It’s The Last One Left plus three covers: “Bertha” by the Grateful Dead; “Shadow People”, a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers staple and “Just To Satisfy You” made popular by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson.  
 
Uncle Lucius has long been known for their unique blend of roots rock & roll and country soul. Since adding heavyweights Doug Strahan (guitar) and Drew Scherger (bass) to the fold, the band has expanded its palette, exploring new musical landscapes and reveling in the power that comes from following sonic avenues, without prejudice, wherever they lead. The results onstage speak for themselves.  
 
During the years following the band’s farewell tour in 2018, their audience continued to organically grow, highlighted by the placement of their song “Keep the Wolves Away” in an episode of Yellowstone and its subsequent  RIAA gold and platinum certifications. After a few years on hiatus – with a fresh outlook and a deep well of new ideas – the band members began to shake off their collective rust and blueprint songs that mirrored their career and current status, hitting on themes of resolve and resilience. The band released their first album in 8 years Like It’s The Last One Left last December via Thirty Tigers / Boo Clap Records.  Since their comeback the band has toured consistently around the world and recently the 2nd single from Like It’s The Last One Left, “All The Angelenos”, hit #5 on the Texas Radio Charts. 

the 502s 

The 502s are a beach folk band from Florida, often called “the happiest band on Earth.” With breezy
banjos, shout-along choruses, and an energy that bursts like a cannonball into a swimming pool,
their music feels like sunshine you can dance to. Their song “Just A Little While” made a viral splash
with over 100M streams to date. With a heavy touring presence, and sold-out run last fall, the band
will continue to take their infectious, high energy live show on the road through the summer with
dates alongside Lake Street Dive and at festivals including Boston Calling, Bourbon & Beyond,
Borderland Music Festival, Iron Blossom Festival and more. A go-to for instant joy, The 502s will
release their first song via Big Loud Records, “Summer Fling,” out May 30. Press play and you’ll be
barefoot in the sand, laughing with friends, and singing at the top of your lungs—even if it’s just in
your kitchen