Photos: Jess Williamson, MYND READER Lead New Music Friday Releases
Brian Sachs previews MYND READER's acoustic EP with a single inspired by late bandmate Tony Brito.
A wave of new music arrives this week from Jess Williamson, MYND READER, Aubory Bugg, Elizabeth Cook, Phillip Phillips and Andy Grammer, spanning new singles, an album announcement and an EP reveal. Williamson is set to release her single Tracking The Tropics ahead of her forthcoming album A MILE SOUTH OF HEAVEN, produced by Shooter Jennings, while MYND READER is set to announce its new EP SUNDAY DRIVE alongside the single Still Uncertain.
Texas-born singer-songwriter Jess Williamson will release her latest single 'Tracking The Tropics,' from forthcoming album A Mile South of Heaven, coming October 9, via New West.
The track, with driving guitar, shimmering pedal steel, and irresistible drum groove, soundtracks Williamson's arresting vocals. Her stunning lilt tells the tale of hard moments on the road, with tears on a Friday night, and reflections on the siren call of old friends and familiar places.
Produced by Shooter Jennings at the famed Sunset Sound in Hollywood, the new LP was written between LA and Marfa, where the acclaimed artist splits her time, and explores the spiritual push and pull between the two vastly different worlds– from Hollywood ambition to the quiet beauty of Far West Texas.
MYND READER will announce their new EP, Sunday Drive, an acoustic EP celebrating songs of their landmark debut self-titled album and new songs, coming October 16, 2026. The EP is a 70s inspired, emotionally honest collection of tracks featuring driving melodies and gritty, powerhouse vocals.
Their first single, 'Still Uncertain' an acoustic-driven track that marks one of the EP's emotional centerpieces and sets the tone for the record. A soulful reflection that there is no certainty in life, it is inspired by Brian's late bandmate Tony Brito and a late-night drive home they took after a gig.
Brian Sachs shared, 'This song is about a long drive home after a gig in the middle of the night with my old bandmate Tony. We had toured constantly when we were in our 20's dreaming of stardom. The night felt magical on the open highway, listening to music and feeling that anything was possible... the future was wide open... Tony passed away at 46. I never got to tell him what that night and what he meant to me. This song is the conversation I didn't get to finish.'
MYND READER is a soulful roots-rock band featuring acclaimed drummer and band leader, now deft songwriter, Brian Sachs. Brian's remarkable second-act story fuels every song and getting the second chance that is justly deserved. Sachs's near-miss at success with 1990s New York band the Authority, followed by decades away from music — gives the songs their weight. Sachs rediscovered his creative calling decades later, and with MYND READER is proving it's never too late for the redemption of rock & roll.
21-year-old singer-songwriter and rising star Aubory Bugg will release her newest single, 'the one you want to lose.'
'the one you want to lose' is a reflective heartbreak anthem looking back on a relationship that didn't work out. Aubory is open and emotional as she sings over the rocking drums and guitar, asking 'how come I, I'm the one you want 'til I'm the one you want to lose?' The track also gives Aubory's voice several moments to shine on its own, showcasing her earnest vocals and unique clear tone.
Bugg's absolutely stunning vocals have a timeless and contemporary quality, bringing to mind the likes of legends from Joni Mitchell to Phoebe Bridgers and everyone in between. Aubory's voice carries the hardwon knowledge of the truth of love. Bugg's emotionally honest songs, unique blend of indie rock and folk pop and powerful crystalline voice will stop you dead in your tracks.
This is Aubory Bugg's version of living life to its fullest, singing songs that remind us to keep dreaming, and working. Now with over 194K TikTok followers, Aubory is living her best life in Nashville, surrounded by a thriving community of queer artists and collaborators. The new album captures a pivotal chapter for this exciting new artist — navigating identity, independence, and the emotional weight of leaving home. She has finally found where she belongs – she's arrived, and that means she's just getting started.
Revered country singer-songwriter Elizabeth Cook will release Great Television, her new studio album which beautifully collides country and rock & roll, via Thirty Tigers. The album's focus track, 'The Easy Kind' features country legend Wynonna Judd!
Recorded with Cook's live band at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, Great Television marks a commanding new addition to a formidable catalog. The Florida-bred, Nashville based singer-songwriter's first new project since 2020's Aftermath, the album finds Cook on a mission to illuminate the type of lives typically sidelined in the dominant media narrative and the emotional truth buried within long-overlooked histories. Cook maps the hidden corners of the American experience from both a deeply personal perspective and a perspective of reflection on historical events and their ripple effects.
The LP arrives alongside the theatrical release of The Easy Kind—a narrative film inspired by Cook's life as an artist who has long resisted Nashville convention. Starring Elizabeth alongside David Letterman, Karen Allen, Susie Essman, Melissa Jackson, and Charles Esten, the film blends fact and fiction to trace her remarkable journey from singing in her parents' band at age four to performing at the Grand Ole Opry more than 400 times. Directed by Katy Chevigny, The Easy Kind offers an intimate portrait of Cook's uncompromising artistic life through candid home moments, live performances, and deeply personal storytelling.
Phillip Phillips will release a reflective and heartfelt new single 'Remember Me.' The newest track comes off the heels of the announcement of Phillip's brand-new EP Let's Go Far: Vol. 1 – out September 4th. Phillips will also head out on his fall headlining Let's Go Far Tour.
'Remember Me' is poised to be a fan favorite, a nostalgic return to form for Phillip while continuing to open the door to a fresh creative era for him. The track is a reflection on impact and legacy, as Phillip sings 'Whenever I leave, will this land still remember me?'
To celebrate the release of the new EP, Phillip will hit the road this fall, kicking off his Let's Go Far Tour on September 10th in Dallas, TX and stopping in major markets including Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Anaheim, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Nashville, Atlanta and more.
Multi-platinum, Emmy Award-winning artist, podcaster and acclaimed songwriter Andy Grammer will release his uplifting and emotionally honest new single, 'All I Want Is You.' The track is the latest offering from Grammer's forthcoming sixth studio album, Big Stupid Heart, out October 16 via S-Curve Records/Hollywood Records.
A heartfelt declaration of love, 'All I Want Is You' finds Grammer taking stock of the ambitions and distractions that can pull us away from what matters most. After chasing money, success and the promise of a dream that ultimately left him unfulfilled, he arrives at a simple realization: everything he has been looking for has been right in front of him all along.
'Take all the paper and light it on fire / I don't need the money, it won't get me higher,' Grammer sings before the song opens into its irresistible refrain: 'All I want is you.'
At its heart, 'All I Want Is You' poses the question that anchors the song: What if we have been wasting precious time chasing something that cannot compare to the love already in front of us? Romantic, sincere and unabashedly open-hearted, the track captures the central spirit of Big Stupid Heart and Grammer's belief that choosing love is never something to be embarrassed by.
Williamson's A MILE SOUTH OF HEAVEN was written between Los Angeles and Marfa, Texas, and recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, while MYND READER's SUNDAY DRIVE revisits material from the band's debut self-titled album alongside new songs, with frontman Brian Sachs describing Still Uncertain as tied to the memory of late bandmate Tony Brito.
