Truman Sinclair has never taken the easy route, and ‘Rivers Of Sugar And Blood’ makes that abundantly clear. His first EP for Capitol Records/Polydor Label Group, and the follow-up to his acclaimed 2025 debut album ‘American Recordings’, it’s six songs written, produced, and recorded entirely by Sinclair himself, a 23-year-old who has been doing exactly this since he was eight years old. Listen here.
The EP moves through depression, friendship, heartbreak, and self-reckoning with the kind of grounded, unhurried confidence that most writers spend a decade trying to find. New track “dust to dust” is a standout, his slack vocals and cinematic detail landing hard: “You got a palace built in your mind / You can be mean / You hurt me sometimes.” Sinclair calls it “a song about growing up and watching friends around you win and lose, and the tenderness and coldness that comes with that.” It sticks.
‘dustland’ and ‘sugar’, both included here, picked up multiple plays on BBC Radio 1 and showed Sinclair connecting well beyond his Chicago and Laurel Canyon roots. The deeper cuts earn their place too. ‘chemical smile’ handles mental illness with real compassion, ‘river of blood’ lets rage and heartbreak breathe over time, and ‘sam & marylou’ closes things out with harmonica and a genuine sense of wonder.
The press has taken notice. The Fader called it “a rousing, coming-of-age tale.” Clash Magazine heard “Laurel Canyon work” and “gilded 70s reference points.” The Line of Best Fit put it plainly: Sinclair “draws from American history and tradition in a way that’s neither nostalgic nor patriotic. It’s literal and lived.” That’s the right read.
He’s now on the road opening for Tyler Ballgame across the UK and Europe, with a London date at Scala on April 29, before joining Courtney Barnett’s North American tour starting May 1 in Austin. ‘Rivers Of Sugar And Blood’ is out now on Capitol Records/Polydor Label Group.
Tour Dates (opening for Tyler Ballgame):
April 13, Berlin, Kantine am Berghain
April 14, Cologne, Stadtgarten
April 18, Brussels, Rotonde @ Botanique
April 20, Paris, Boule Noire
April 22, Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
April 23, Glasgow, King Tuts
April 25, Manchester, Deaf Institute
April 26, Bristol, The Fleece
April 29, London, Scala
Tour Dates (opening for Courtney Barnett):
May 1, Austin, TX, RADIO/EAST
May 2, Houston, TX, White Oak
May 3, Dallas, TX, Studio
May 5, Nashville, TN, Ryman Auditorium
May 6, Atlanta, GA, Tabernacle
May 8, Brooklyn, NY, Kings Theatre
May 9, Brooklyn, NY, Kings Theatre
May 10, Washington, DC, Anthem
May 12, Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore
May 13, Boston, MA, Roadrunner
May 15, Madison, WI, The Sylvee
May 16, Minneapolis, MN, Palace Theater
May 19, St. Louis, MO, Hawthorn Theater
May 20, Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall
May 21, Detroit, MI, The Majestic
May 22, Toronto, ON, History
Tracklist:
‘river of blood’
‘chemical smile’
‘dust to dust’
‘dustland’
‘sugar’
‘sam & marylou’