CURE FOR PARANOIA to Launch "A Verse A Day" Voter Registration Countdown

Dallas hip-hop collective Cure for Paranoia and frontman Cameron McCloud are teaming with nonpartisan voter registration organization HeadCount for 'A Verse A Day,' a 15-day creative countdown to National Voter Registration Day on September 15.

Beginning today, McCloud will write and share a new original verse every day across his social channels, using his music to explore participation, community, perseverance and the power of making your voice heard. The series culminates September 15 in New York City, where McCloud will deliver his 15th and final verse live as part of HeadCount's National Voter Registration Day NYC Block Party.

For McCloud, the challenge is a natural extension of a creative practice that has become central to his work. In 2025, he embarked on an ambitious 365-day verse challenge, writing and posting a new rap every day for an entire year. The verses moved freely between politics, culture, grief, mental health and personal growth, with the series even drawing participation from Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. 'A Verse A Day' brings that same immediacy to HeadCount's mission of encouraging people to participate in democracy and use their voices.

'The 'my vote doesn't even matter' rhetoric is so dumb to me, because if your vote didn't matter they wouldn't be trying so hard to suppress it. That's why I chose to bring back the daily's for this 15 day countdown with HeadCount because this is the best way that I could use my voice to remind the people how much power theirs has.' – Cameron McCloud, Cure for Paranoia

The collaboration comes during a landmark year for Cure for Paranoia. Earlier this year, the Dallas collective was selected from more than 6,000 submissions nationwide as the winner of NPR Music's 2026 Tiny Desk Contest for their performance of 'No Brainer.' The win took them behind NPR's iconic Tiny Desk for their official concert debut and sent the group across the country on the Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour, with stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

The band also made its way overseas this summer, performing at SXSW London, Valkhof Festival in the Netherlands and WOMAD Festival in the UK, and will appear at Austin City Limits Music Festival in October.

The HeadCount collaboration also reflects a throughline that has long defined McCloud's work. Cure for Paranoia was born from his use of music as a means of processing his own experiences, developing what the group has described as a 'rap as medicine' ethos. That openness has remained at the center of the collective's genre-blurring mix of hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz and live instrumentation, most recently heard on their Work of A.R.T. EP.

HeadCount's National Voter Registration Day NYC Block Party takes place Tuesday, September 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on La Guardia Place between West 4th and West 3rd Streets, adjacent to Washington Square Park. The full-day event brings together music, culture and civic engagement, with more than 20 community partners on site to help attendees register to vote, understand voting rules and connect with local and national organizations.

This year's participating partners include ASCAP, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, New York Public Library, NYC Votes, NYU Votes, Oxfam America, Tony's Chocolonely, Yerba Madre and more. The day will also feature a live performance from Anania, the internet personality and performance artist recently named one of Rolling Stone's 25 most influential creators of 2026.

HeadCount National Voter Registration Day NYC Block Party

September 15, 2026

10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET

La Guardia Place between W 4th St and W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

Cure for Paranoia: approximately 2:00–3:00 p.m.

About Cure for Paranoia

Cure for Paranoia has emerged as one of the most distinctive independent acts coming out of Dallas, building a reputation for emotionally raw songwriting, explosive live performances and genre-defying musicianship. Led by Cameron McCloud, the collective pairs deeply personal storytelling with a fluid fusion of hip-hop, soul, R&B, funk and jazz.

The group reached a major milestone in 2026 when they were named winners of NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest, selected from more than 6,000 submissions nationwide for their performance of 'No Brainer.' The victory followed three consecutive years as Tiny Desk Contest finalists and led to their official Tiny Desk Concert and a nationwide Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour.

Their latest release, Work of A.R.T. EP, marked a major creative breakthrough for McCloud and grew in part out of his 2025 commitment to writing and sharing a new verse every day for 365 days. The group has also earned Artist of the Year, Song of the Year for 'No Brainer,' and Best Hip Hop Lyricist honors at the Dallas Entertainment Awards.

About HeadCount

HeadCount uses the power of music, culture, and community to turn fans into voters. It is a national, nonpartisan organization working to get more young people civically engaged than any other nonprofit in the country, meeting young people at concerts, festivals, and online, and making it easy to register to vote, learn about elections, and take part in democracy.

Since 2004, HeadCount has registered over 1.7 million new voters through work with artists like Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, Sabrina Carpenter, Green Day, Dead & Co, Billie Eilish, and Alicia Keys. Its award-winning digital campaigns have driven tens of millions of voting actions, while its 125,000+ volunteer squad can be seen at more than 1,500 live events each year.

Cure for Paranoia Tour Dates

09/17 - Albuquerque, NM @ Bands of Enchantment

09/19 - Dallas, TX @ Oak Lawn Live: Music & Arts Festival

09/26 - Wichita, KS @ Somewhere Fest

09/29 - Bentonville, AR @ The Momentary

10/01 - Houston, TX @ Deep in the Heart Concert Series

10/03 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival

10/06 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

10/07 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room

10/09 - Joshua Tree, CA @ Joshua Tree Music Festival

Photo Credit: Kathy Tran

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