The Runarounds

Known for turning every stage into a wild, full-throttle rock show, The Runarounds are afive-piece alt-rock band—Axel Ellis (guitar/vocals), Jesse Golliher (bass/vocals), JeremyYun (lead guitar), William Lipton (guitar/vocals), and Zende Murdock (drums).Startingwith a weekly residency at a beach bar in Wilmington, the band grew up on the road,playing college campuses, festivals, and venues across the country, including a packednight at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles.Their songs channel therestless spirit of youth—equal parts frenetic, heartfelt, andunfiltered—balancing punchy guitar riffs with anthems about friendship, escape, andfinding your place in the world. That raw, high-energy spirit is captured on TheRunarounds Live at USC (produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads), but it’sonstage where they truly shine—loud, sweaty, and unapologetically fun. That sameenergy is now reaching screens worldwide through their Amazon Prime series,TheRunarounds, with their latest album servingas the official soundtrack to the show.After a completely sold out headlining tour inthefall of 2025 andstreaming numbersexploding into the millions,The Runarounds are back on tourby popular demand—ready to bring fans into their world, one chaotic, unforgettable night at a time.

Stephen Wilson Jr.

Stephen Wilson Jr.'s journey from the hollers of southern Indiana to Nashville, Tenn. has been a winding road that’s taken many detours: He’s been an Indiana State Golden Gloves boxing championship finalist, a scientist, and a lead guitarist and songwriter in an indie rock band. In 2016, he ditched his laboratory 9-to-5 and signed a publishing deal with BMG Nashville where his alchemic songcraft immediately made waves, leading to cuts from Caitlyn Smith, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash and more. 2023 proved to be Wilson Jr.’s breakthrough year, signing with Big Loud Records and releasing his debut double album søn of dad: a triumphant, genre-spanning set of 22 songs dedicated to his late father and given to the world on the five-year anniversary of his passing. The album was named the No. 1 album of 2023 by Holler who called it “a record for the ages,” and earned a spot as one of the best albums of the year from Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country and Rolling Stone. In 2024, he made his network television debut on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, followed by performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s #LateShowMeMusic series and Later…with Jools Holland. Ahead of the one-year anniversary of søn of dad, Wilson Jr. was also profiled in an extensive feature for CBS Saturday Morning. So far in 2025, Wilson Jr. released a deluxe edition of his debut album that features a moving interpretation of “Stand By Me” that has been streamed tens of millions of times. He is fresh off the heels of an entirely sold-out 2025 U.S. run of his søn of dad tour and is supporting HARDY on his Jim Bob World Tour on select dates from May through September, including the final show at Madison Square Garden. This summer he will make his Newport Folk Festival debut and throughout the year will perform at Glastonbury Music Festival, Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Boots and Hearts, Whiskey Moon and more.

Josiah Queen

A young Josiah Queen, only 9 years old, attended a young adults' conference with tens of thousands of believers in Kansas City, accompanied by his parents. Amidst the buzz of the event, he encountered God for the first time, and his life was completely changed. After this event, Josiah recalls having the desire to write his own worship songs. Guided by the verses of Psalms from the Bible, Josiah translated his newfound spiritual connection into melodies on his piano. The words of the scriptures became the building blocks of his compositions, infusing his music with a depth that resonates with the human experience.From those early days, an unshakable passion for crafting music took root in Josiah’s heart. Every day turned into an opportunity to create lyrics and harmonies that reflected his devotion and the profound lessons he found in the Bible. Every Friday night, he remembers leading prayer sessions at a local church where he would spontaneously sing songs inspired straight from the Bible. At the age of 16, he recorded his debut track, “God of Miracles,” a song about witnessing God's miraculous movements in our ordinary lives. However, this was just the prologue. Josiah’s journey had only begun. On some weekends, Josiah would travel with his mother, who was a traveling preacher. He would lead worship alongside these communities of believers and witnessed the powerful impact a song could have. At 18, while working at a car wash, he fervently prayed for a path that would enable him to turn his musical dreams of becoming a Christian songwriter into reality.Josiah felt an undeniable calling to share the songs that he wrote in his bedroom with the world. Social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram became his stage, and his music resonated deeply with hearts far and wide. With each upload, a community blossomed, drawn to the authenticity of his verses and the sincerity of his devotion. Then, in April, a song emerged that would amplify the impact of his journey. Titled “I am Barabbas,” this composition offered a poignant perspective on a Biblical narrative. It invited listeners to experience the story of Barabbas—the prisoner pardoned in exchange for Jesus’ crucifixion. The emotional depth of the song struck a chord, amassing millions of views and earning a place among Billboard’s “Top 50 Hottest Christian Songs.” As an independent musician without a record deal, Josiah Queen stands as a testament to the power of dedication and the resonance of a harmonious melody. His journey, crafted with faith-filled lyrics and heartfelt melodies, is an anthem of authenticity and devotion.Josiah’s music bridges the gap between humanity and divinity, inviting all who listen to encounter the character of God. His verses serve as a conduit for connection, inspiration, and divine harmony, reflecting his unwavering commitment to both his music and his faith. In a world yearning for truth and meaning, Josiah Queen’s melodies offer solace, purpose, and a resonant reminder of the extraordinary power of faith-fueled music. Josiah and his wife, Trinity, travel together and share the gospel.

INZO

For INZO, there’s a thrill in possibility. The Denver-based electronic artist is less concerned with labels and more with creating immaculate vibes and moving melodies. “If I could make any and every genre,” he says, “I would.” He lives up to that mission through luminescent synth lines that flutter through his tracks like fireflies, chest-caving bass, and wistful, nostalgic vocal samples. Through it all, no matter what sounds and styles he chooses, he has a constant goal: He wants you to feel something. “If you're crying, if you're having a fun time, if you're having an epiphany at that moment,” INZO says, “sad, happy, whatever—I just want my music to be an experience.”   Having last released music in 2020, INZO is currently working on bringing his new and varied experiences to life. In addition to a collaborative EP with fellow dance experimenter LSDREAM, he’s preparing his solo EP, Earth Magic. Created during lockdown, its tracks are more cinematic and calmer, with lo-fi beats, piano breakdowns, and transcendent synth beams—a byproduct of his renewed focus on health and wellness. Making music itself has become therapeutic for INZO, so it's fitting that his new work reflects that cozy headspace. As much as he enjoys playing live, he especially loves the quieter, more intimate moments of listening back to a track he’s made for the first time and realizing it’s exactly what he’d envisioned. “I like to make music for other people to enjoy,” he says, “but at the end of the day it's an expression of me.”   Growing up in Chicago, INZO, born Mike Inzano, seemed destined for music. When he was 4 years old, his parents enrolled him in piano lessons where he studied classical greats like Beethoven; at 6, he chose to learn drums inspired by rock groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers. In high school, Inzano found increasing success as part of a metal band. When a potentially career-making opportunity to play Warped Tour fell through, he took it as a sign to move on, go to college, and pursue a medical career. But freshman year, he found rave culture, which pulled him back in. Instead of attending classes, Inzano camped out in the campus music studio and taught himself production, eventually leaving school behind to pursue it full-time.   For the next two years, INZO tried on different styles, hopping from soaring progressive house (“High Above”) and raucous electro house (“Brocaine Camaro”) to a pop-rock-electronic hybrid (“Young Heart”). In 2017, he released the single “Visionaries,” a hazy track with crashing waves of bass and warm, cascading synth drops. Somewhere in its mellow ambiance and ethereal arrangements, something clicked. “That was the first time I was sure of my musical identity,” he recalls. “Who I wanted to be, the music I wanted to make, the sound I wanted to capture.”   Following that instinct served INZO well. His next single, 2018’s introspective “Overthinker,” was his most successful to date, recently surpassing 52 million Spotify streams. The bass-heavy track builds on atmosphere, sampling a speech by philosopher Alan Watts that cuts through the dreamy melodies and euphoric synth blooms with sobering musings. Then, inspired to shake up his sound, INZO flexed his range on his 2019 debut EP, Multiverse, delivering stuttering funk on “Let It Slide,” laser-charged heaviness on “Y,” and blindingly bright melodies on the title track.   As INZO prepares new music, he’s still keen on keeping people guessing. The tracks he’s making now are more vivid, softer, and prettier, but he hints at troves of unreleased tracks approaching heavier and more experimental territory—and even more surprise collaborations. What will he put out next? With INZO, anything is possible as long as it’s an experience.   During a summer full of pivotal performances in 2023 at festivals such as North Coast, Wakaan, Bass Canyon and Sonic Bloom or a coveted headlining night at Mishawaka Amphitheatre, INZO played alongside GRiZ and B2B with LSDREAM, among others while heavy-hitters such as REZZ and Liquid Stranger were airing his tracks out to their crowds.   Left inspired by the visionaries in the world, INZO started his Visionquest heading into 2024 to pursue his vision of what music can be which all starts where he did as an early producer, in the house music realm with his EP “Sidequest,” via Lowly. INZO shares, “No, I am not “changing genres” or am only making house music. This is a “sidequest” by name.. sidequest by nature. I just wanted to do a project that felt fun and not too introspective.”   The lead single off “Sidequest,” “Bass In Yo Face,” opens eyes with bass music elements then cracks the dance floor alive with a silky house drop. “Dopamine” with LSDREAM orchestrates a sonic conversation with rave energy and unfathomable rhythms, immersing listeners in his signature atmospheric enclave. Then the nonstop funky tech house tune “Funky Fusion'' defines fun. INZO will have plenty more sounds to explore and unveil along his upcoming Visionquest tour.

Houndmouth

Houndmouth is an American alternative blues band from New Albany, Indiana led by Matt Myers (guitar, vocals). Houndmouth formed in the summer of 2011. After playing locally in Louisville and Indiana, they performed at the SXSW music festival in March 2012 to promote their homemade self-titled EP. Geoff Travis, the head of Rough Trade was in the audience and offered a contract shortly after. In 2012, the band was named “Band Of The Week” by The Guardian. In 2013 Houndmouth’s debut album, From the Hills Below the City, was released by Rough Trade. This led to performances on Letterman, Conan, World Cafe, and several major festivals (ACL, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Newport Folk Festival). SPIN and Esquire.com named Houndmouth a “must-see” band at Lollapalooza, and Garden & Gun said, “You’d be hard pressed to find a more effortless, well-crafted mix of roots and rock this year than the debut album from this Louisville quartet.”   On their latest album Good For You, Houndmouth share a collection of songs set in places as far-flung as the Alamo and the Hudson River, each populated by a motley cast of characters: fairy-tale princesses and vampires, parking-lot lovers and wanna-be beauty queens. The result is a lovingly gathered catalogue of those wild and fleeting moments that stay lodged in our hearts forever, taking on a dreamlike resonance as years go by.   Produced by Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hiss Golden Messenger) and mixed by Jon Ashley (The War on Drugs, B.J. Barham), Good For You came to life at Houndmouth’s longtime headquarters, a 19th-century shotgun-style house decked out in gold wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. Over the course of a year spent holed up at the so-called Green House, Houndmouth slowly shaped the warm and unhurried sound of Good For You. “Except for the first EP we’d never recorded in our own space before,” says Myers. “It was perfect because we all felt so comfortable, and there were no time constraints on anything.”   In a departure from the shambolic spirit of past work like Little Neon Limelight (Houndmouth’s 2015 breakout, featuring the platinum-selling “Sedona”), Good For You bears a hi-fi minimalism that beautifully illuminates its finespun storytelling. “From working with Brad and Jon we learned to go for the simplest parts that best support the melody, and to let the frequencies take up more space in the songs,” says Myers. On the album-opening title track, Houndmouth bring that approach to a sweetly languid breakup song set against the surreal backdrop of the Kentucky Derby (“I wrote that before Covid, but at the time I was sort of emotionally going through a pandemic,” Myers points out). On “Miracle Mile,” Houndmouth pay homage to the many misfits they’ve met on the road, including a woman they’ve nicknamed after the Greek god of wine and ritual madness (“Sweet Dionysus/She never really liked us/Hangs on and stays too long/And then supplies us all with vices”). And on “Cool Jam,” Houndmouth eulogize a doomed romance, embedding their lyrics with so much broken wisdom (e.g., “Ain’t no heaven when you’re having a good time”).   On its closing track “Las Vegas,” Good For You shifts into a far rowdier mood, offering up a freewheeling anthem that once again reveals Houndmouth’s ability to build a novel’s worth of tension in just a few lines (“You wore makeup for three days straight/Half a Xanax for the holidays/By the look on your face/You’re rolling eights the hard way”). Working from a demo they’d laid down years before, the band produced “Las Vegas” on their own in the frenetic final session for the album. “We had a mic at one end of the hallway, and we were all just screaming the harmonies together from the other end,” Myers notes. In assembling the tracklist for Good For You, Houndmouth nearly withheld the song due to its outlier status, but ultimately found its joyfully unhinged energy well-suited to a world waking up from a year of grief and isolation.   For Houndmouth, the making of Good For You allowed for a major leap forward in their songwriting and sound while recalling the pure abandon of the band’s early days. “I remember the first time I ever came to the Green House and saw what was happening here and I thought, ‘I’m never leaving this place,’” says Myers. “This album felt like being back in that time again, only now everything’s a little more dialed-back and cared-for. It was like a return to the way we fell in love with playing music.”

Dark Star Orchestra

Performing to critical acclaim celebrating over 20 years and over 2700 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead's extensive catalog and the talent of these seven fine musicians. On any given night, the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience. By recreating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra's members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations. Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It's about a sense of familiarity. It's about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It's about that contagious energy...in short, it's about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show. Dark Star Orchestra has performed throughout the entire United States, plus Europe & the Caribbean touching down in seven different countries. DSO continues to grow its fan base by playing at larger venues for two and even three night stands as well as performing at major music festivals including Bonnaroo, Milwaukee's SummerFest, The Peach Music Festival, All Good Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam, and many more. In addition to appearing at some of the nation’s top festival, Dark Star Orchestra hosts its own annual music festival and campaign gathering, titled the ‘Dark Star Jubilee’, currently in its sixth year where DSO headline all three nights and are joined by a mix of established and up and coming national touring acts. Beyond the shores of the United States, DSO has taken its internationally-acclaimed Grateful Dead tribute to the beaches of Jamaica in the dead of winter for the past five years, with their event appropriately titled 'Jam in the Sand'. Featuring an ocean-side stage, DSO sets up camp to perform shows for four nights along the tropical sands of an all-inclusive resort, selling out the event each year for hundreds of lucky attendees. Fans and critics haven't been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from six original Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy. Other notable guests have included Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and many more. "For us it's a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years," keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco explains. "We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they've been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live."

Zara Larsson

Wyatt Flores

Wyatt Flores carries around old memories, the ghosts of loved ones, and dreams of a better future in his music. This Mexican-American Oklahoma-born troubadour sings from the gut, telling stories against a gritty country soundtrack. His unfiltered thoughts on life, death, addiction, pain, and joy emerge through his delivery.   “I’m only getting one chance at life, so I try to be present,” he proclaims. “There’s more to existence than what the average person experiences. Death is always riding in the passenger seat... I choose to be friends with it."   He grew up surrounded by music in Stillwater, OK. Influenced by family and artists like Turnpike Troubadours, Tyler Childers, and Jason Isbell, he developed his style. He attributes his character to Oklahoma's history of resilience.   During COVID, he left OSU, working on a ranch and writing songs. At 19, his debut "Travelin’ Kid" gained traction. "Please Don’t Go" caught fire online, leading to The Hutson Sessions EP. He then released "Break My Bones" and "Ain’t Proud," amassing millions of streams. Along the way, he inked a deal with Island Records.    “It’s gone from absolutely nothing to everything”   Life Lessons' title track reflects his non-conformist approach to life. Other songs like "3/13," detail personal lows and learning from mistakes.   Flores' music calls to live fully, embodying his journey and learning. Life Lessons symbolizes his evolution and growth.

I LOVE YOU BUT... I CHOSE THE MAINE

Seven albums in, and The Maine’s new release You Are Ok is arguably the band’s most considerable sonic leap in their twelve-year career. What makes The Maine, The Maine is their ability and inspiration to take risks, all while staying tuned in and consistently exceeding the expectations of their fans. 2019 is shaping up to be another milestone year for these desert dwellers, which kicked off with their second ever headlining music festival in their hometown. You Are Ok marks The Maine’s first top 10 album in its premiere on the charts (peaking at #8), and also came in at #1 independent record, #2 rock album, #2 vinyl album, and #3 alternative album. Known for their live show, The Maine is taking You Are Ok around the globe this year including stops on their home continent, across South America, Europe, and more. The band will spend their summer on the Sad Summer Festival, co-headlining the inaugural year of a touring music festival in the US. The Maine is John O’Callaghan, Pat Kirch, Jared Monaco, Garrett Nickelsen, and Kennedy Brock.

Max McNown

Singer/songwriter Max McNown creates the kind of songs that soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval and life-changing revelation. Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Nashville-based artist set off on a meteoric rise largely fueled by his breakout single “A Lot More Free”—a RIAA Gold-certified track whose explosive success includes peaking at #1 on the iTunes singles chart and earning him a #1 spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Following the release of his widely lauded debut album Wandering, the Willfully Blind EP, and his acclaimed sophomore album Night Diving, the 23-year-old Oregon native continued his fast ascent to stardom and made his TV performance debut with an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show in early 2025, in addition to selling out his first-ever headline tour within just hours. Named a 2025 Artist To Watch by Amazon Music, Holler, and Country Now, McNown now embarks on a thrilling new chapter with Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up): a 21-song powerhouse that shows the complete depth of his artistry like never before. A drastically expanded edition of his sophomore LP, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) features 11 never-before-heard tracks built on McNown’s quietly potent form of folk/country. “Even though Night Diving was the length of a full album, in my heart it never felt complete to me,” he reveals. “All of these songs were written in the same time period, and my intention was always to have them be one body of work.” Still, McNown points out that the previously unreleased songs surfaced from a recent evolution of his mesmerizing sound, spotlighting an earthy tonality informed by his upbringing in the Pacific Northwest. “Since my first EP I’ve been on the hunt to find myself as a musician, and with this album, I’ve officially made something that fully represents me, both sonically and in my songwriting,” he says. Produced by Jamie Kenney (Colbie Caillat, Laci Kaye Booth) and made with an A-list lineup of session players, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) ultimately provides an extraordinary vessel for his profoundly moving and soul-baring storytelling. Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence that McNown partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) takes the latter half of its title from a gorgeously textured track that perfectly exemplifies his newly refined sound. With its rootsy yet ethereal instrumentation—luminous steel guitar, lush mandolin, soulful organ—“The Cost of Growing Up” arrives as a clear-eyed but melancholy meditation on the inevitability of pain (from the second verse: “Ain’t it interesting/That diamonds come from coal, and steel gets sharper the more time spent in the flame/And there’s consistency/Between heartbreak and ashes/Scraped knees and taxes/One step back for every two you gain”). “To me, the cost of growing up is an acceptance that difficult things are going to happen—from minor inconveniences to devastating loss, it’s all a part of life,” says McNown. “But there’s also beauty in that because, without those hard moments, you wouldn’t be able to truly love.” In the making of Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), McNown revisited the title track from the original album: a lived-in meditation on cycles of addiction, set against a spellbinding backdrop of otherworldly textures, moody guitar tones, and strangely haunting rhythms. This time around, he includes a feature from Cameron Whitcomb—a rising singer/songwriter who’s written extensively about his personal history with addiction, and whose force-of-nature vocals add a raw and fiery intensity to the new version of “Night Diving.” “One of the things I respect above all else is authenticity and honesty in music, and Cam is the epitome of that,” says McNown. “When I started thinking about a feature on that song, I knew there was no better person than Cam to join me. He gave it so much energy and his voice is so distinct, and now the song has a whole new life to it.”  Elsewhere on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), McNown lets his inner hopeless romantic shine on songs like the unstoppably joyful “Forever Ain’t Long Enough.” A glorious counterpart to “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)”—a lilting and dreamlike standout from Night Diving, written when he’d first started dating his girlfriend—“Forever Ain’t Long Enough” rushes forward with a pulse-pounding velocity as McNown lists off all the places he hopes to travel with his beloved (“Let’s chase horizons off the Catalina coastline/Jeep ride all the way to Santa Fe/Sip a coffee to a Montana sunrise/Say goodnight to the Colorado rain”). “It’s about finding somebody who makes it seem like even your entire lifetime isn’t long enough to spend with them,” McNown explains. “It’s saying, ‘Let’s love each other to the best of our abilities and take advantage of every single day, because we know the next day is never promised.’” Meanwhile, on the heavy-hearted but exquisitely catchy “Same Questions,” McNown writes from an outside point of view and explores everything that’s lost when a love story ends. “It’s about going through a breakup and not wanting to deal with the process of going back to square one and getting to know a new person,” he says. “That’s a brutal but relatable experience, and I liked the idea of writing something sad but putting it to a happy folk melody.” In August 2022, McNown headed for Southern California and crashed with his aunt and uncle in San Clemente, where he soon learned to play his dad’s guitar (a gift handed off just as he was leaving home) and showed a friend a song he’d penned in high school. “I didn’t have a lot of faith in myself, but my friend encouraged me to go down to the San Clemente Pier and play that song and see what happened,” he says. “That night I made 93 bucks, and also got a free taco and a girl’s phone number folded into a $5 bill.” As he gained greater confidence in his guitar and vocal skills, McNown started posting covers online and quickly amassed a devoted following while building up a stash of original songs. Released in April 2023, his first official song “Freezing in November” surpassed a million streams in just a few months, paving the way for his signing with Fugitive Recordings. Along with delivering his debut EP A Lot More Free that August, McNown turned out a series of rapturously received singles—racking up 80 million streams in his very first year of releasing music. The following April, he released Wandering and earned critical praise from the likes of People and Holler, with the LP later landing on Whiskey Riff’s list of the year’s best debut albums. Since the arrival of Wandering, Willfully Blind, and Night Diving, McNown has fully claimed his place in the music spotlight. To that end, Kelly Clarkson covered “A Lot More Free” on her show just a month before inviting him on to perform “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes).” Over the past couple of years alone, he’s also shared bills with Wynonna Judd, Wyatt Flores, Michael Marcagi, Sam Barber, Billy Currington, Trampled by Turtles, JOSEPH, and more; toured with Briscoe and Blake Rose; traveled overseas to perform at the C2C: Country to Country festival; and made his debut at the legendary Grand Ole Opry. With his 2025 schedule including his debut headline tour (a massive soldout run with stops across the U.S. and in Europe, the UK, and Australia)—as well as spots on major festivals like Lollapalooza, Boston Calling, and CMA Fest—McNown has undoubtedly cemented his reputation as a captivating live act. “I feel like I’ve found myself as a performer and gained the courage to enjoy the moment,” he says. “One of the biggest highlights was going to C2C and playing for upwards of 15,000 people and hearing them sing along to ‘A Lot More Free.’ It always takes my breath away to look out and see the crowd belting that song at the top of their lungs.” Looking back on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), McNown notes that the newly added batch of songs embody a far more hopeful mood compared with the album’s original tracklist. “Even on ‘The Cost of Growing Up,’ which is one of the saddest songs, there’s an undertone of optimism and a clear silver lining,” he says. And while that optimism was entirely intentional on McNown’s part, he’s highly aware that his music tends to stir up incredibly complex emotions in listeners. “I’ve heard some heavy stories from fans, including someone nearing suicide and feeling as though they were saved by ‘It’s Not Your Fault,’” he says, referring to a particularly poignant track from Night Diving. “It’s amazing how a song can be written about a specific experience, and then you can be told a hundred different stories about the experiences that other people hear in that same song. But I’d never invalidate anyone’s story—the important thing is that people relate to the song and feel heard and less alone. That’s exactly what I’m doing all this for.”