John Moreland After an impressive 2010s run of albums that earned him a devoted fanbase, accolades from outlets like The New York Times, Fresh Air, and Pitchfork, and a place in the upper echelon of modern Americana singer-songwriters, John Moreland has already taken two unexpected turns this decade, both of which highlight his fierce artistic independence. First, he released a brilliant and sonically layered folk-electronica meditation on modern alienation, 2022’s Birds In The Ceiling, that took some of his fans by surprise. Then, after wrapping up a difficult tour behind that record in November 2022, he stopped working entirely. He took an entire year off from playing shows and didn’t use a smartphone for 6 months. “At the end of that year, I was just like ‘Nobody call me’. I needed to not do anything for a while and just process,” Moreland says. After nearly a decade in the limelight, constantly jostled by the expectations of his audience, the music industry, and anonymous strangers online, he carved out some time to rest, heal, and reflect for the first time. The result of that unplugged year at home is 2024’s Visitor, a folk-rock record that is intimate, immediate, deeply thoughtful, and catchy as hell. Moreland recorded the album at his home in Bixby, Oklahoma, in only ten days, playing nearly every instrument himself (his wife Pearl Rachinsky sang on one song, and his longtime collaborator John Calvin Abney contributed a guitar solo), as well as engineering and mixing the album. “Simplicity and immediacy felt very important to the process,” he says. John Moreland is known for writing lines that hit you in the gut, but many of the best moments on Visitor are more subtle. The significance of one of the record’s best lines, from “The More You Say, The Less It Means,” may take multiple listens to fully sink in: “Some folks say and some folks know”. This line sums up John Moreland’s worldview very neatly. It lays out the dichotomy of truth and lies that Moreland has spent his entire career examining, but now more elegantly than ever. On the one hand, there are people who constantly talk (or sing, or write, or post online) without deep thought or reflection – often irresponsibly, even dangerously, and for personal gain. These are the “weary worn-out fools” and “famous false prophets” he lambasted on In The Throes, or the subject of “One Man Holds The World Hostage” on Visitor. And on the other hand, there are folks who know – those who commit themselves to the pursuit of truth and wisdom, and who only say things when they fully know them to be true. In Moreland’s book, the artist’s true calling is to be one of the latter – the “folks who know”. While John Moreland has already earned a spot in the pantheon of the great singer-songwriters of his generation, Visitor confirms his place in that much loftier Hall Of Fame. Patterson Hood Patterson Hood is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers. Born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Hood grew up immersed in the region’s rich musical heritage, with his father, David Hood, being a renowned session bassist for the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Drawing inspiration from storytelling traditions and a passion for rock, country, and soul, Hood’s music often explores themes of Southern identity, social justice, and personal introspection. While best known as frontman, singer, songwriter, and guitar player for Drive-By Truckers, he is also a writer of essays, columns, and short stories as well as a solo performer and producer. Since forming Drive-By Truckers in 1996 with Mike Cooley, Hood has been a driving force behind the band’s narrative-driven sound, blending gritty, guitar-heavy arrangements with evocative lyrics. Albums like Southern Rock Opera (2001) and The Dirty South (2004) have solidified their reputation as one of the most influential Southern rock bands of their generation. Beyond his work with the Truckers, Hood has released solo albums such as Killers and Stars (2004) and Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance (2012), showcasing his versatility as a songwriter. His newest solo album, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams, produced by Chris Funk (The Decemberists) will be released via ATO Records in February 2025. Whether fronting the Truckers or performing solo, Patterson Hood remains a vital force in modern music, celebrated for his ability to turn life’s raw realities into compelling, soul-stirring art, and continues to be a powerful voice in contemporary Americana and Southern rock. https://www.johnmoreland.net/ https://pattersonhood.com/