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5 Surprising Facts About Roger Nichols, The Quiet Architect of Pop Classics

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Roger Nichols, The Quiet Architect of Pop Classics

Today, Roger Nichols, Grammy-nominated co-writer of “We’ve Only Just Begun,” passed away peacefully at the age of 84, surrounded by his beloved wife Terry and daughters Claire and Caitlin. While his name may not be as instantly recognized as the Carpenters or Paul Anka, Nichols’ songwriting legacy helped shape the sound of American pop in the 1970s—and beyond. Here are five lesser-known facts about the man behind some of pop’s most enduring melodies.

1. “We’ve Only Just Begun” Was Born From a Bank Commercial
The iconic Carpenters ballad was never meant to top charts. It started as a jingle for Crocker Bank, with Paul Williams singing. Richard Carpenter heard it on TV and called to ask if it was a full song. It wasn’t—but Nichols and Williams said yes anyway, finishing it just in time to change pop history.

2. His 1968 Debut Album Was a Who’s Who of Future Legends
Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends wasn’t a hit on the Billboard 200, but it featured contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, and Lenny Waronker. Engineered by Bruce Botnick and produced by Tommy LiPuma, the album became a cult classic and caught the ear of A&M co-founder Herb Alpert.

3. He Quietly Scored Major Commercial Successes
Nichols co-wrote Paul Anka’s “Times of Your Life,” which originated in a Kodak commercial. The sentimental ballad hit #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Like “We’ve Only Just Begun,” it was a perfect example of Nichols’ ability to turn quiet moments into universal anthems.

4. He Was a Celebrated Songwriter in Japan
Though retired from the mainstream spotlight, Nichols enjoyed a loyal fanbase in Japan. His 1995 release Be Gentle With My Heart—a Japan-only CD featuring re-recordings of his classics—cemented his enduring international appeal. Paul Williams even guested on vocals for “Rainy Days and Mondays.”

5. Music Ran in the Family, But So Did Jewelry
Beyond songwriting, Nichols was also a successful jeweler. Creativity clearly ran in his blood—his brother, Ted Nichols, composed for Hanna-Barbera and served briefly as musical director for the iconic animation studio.

Roger Nichols’ passing marks the end of an era for those who remember the gentle pop craftsmanship of the ’70s. But as Paul Williams beautifully wrote in tribute, Nichols gave the world “love and beauty”—and for those walking down the aisle to “We’ve Only Just Begun,” dancing to “Times of Your Life,” or reflecting to “Rainy Days and Mondays,” his music is anything but forgotten.

Chris Rea’s ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ Returns on Vinyl for First Time Since 1988

Eric Alper
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Chris Rea’s ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ Returns on Vinyl for First Time Since 1988

Back on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1988, Chris Rea‘s first ever compilation ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ has been remastered onto recycled double-LP and CD and will be reissued on 11th July 2025. Available to pre-order now: http://lnk.to/ChrisreaNLTOW

On its original release, Rea re-recorded a number of tracks from his earlier albums especially for ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ and it also included a brand new track ‘Working On It’.

The album proved to be a huge hit breaking into the UK top 5 and staying in the charts for over a year. It also found chart success around the world including singles ‘Working On It’ topping the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and ‘On The Beach’ breaking into the Top 10 of the US Adult Contemporary Singles chart. The album has been certified triple-platinum in the UK and contains some of Rea’s best known tracks including ‘Fool (If You Think It’s Over)’ and ‘Driving Home for Christmas, the latter of which is the now famed version that dominates Christmas every year.

This was Rea’s tenth album (although it is not often listed in his discography as an album with it being a compilation) and his tenth album in as many years. It was an incredibly prolific decade for him with his debut album ‘Whatever Happened To Benny Santini’ being released in 1978 his non-stop touring and recording schedule had seen his unique guitar playing and voice make him a major star throughout Europe. ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ became the precursor to his biggest selling album to date ‘Road To Hell’ in 1989 which catapulted his reputation in the US.

Rea has recorded 25 studio albums to date and sold over 40 millions albums.

Tracklist:
Side A
Let’s Dance
Working On It
Ace Of Hearts
Josephine

Side B
Candles
On The Beach
Fool (If You Think It’s Over)

Side C
I Can Hear Your Heartbeat
Shamrock Diaries
Stainsby Girls

Side D
Windy Town
Driving Home For Christmas
Steel River

Green Day Supercharge Summer With Deluxe Edition of ‘Saviors’

Eric Alper
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Green Day Supercharge Summer With Deluxe Edition of ‘Saviors’

Global rock superstars Green Day – Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool – reup, recharge, and reignite their GRAMMY Award Award-nominated 14th studio album, Saviors, with a brand new (édition de luxe) out today.

Saviors (édition de luxe) includes 7 new tracks in total, including 2 acoustic versions of “Suzie Chapstick” and “Father to a Son,” and 5 new tracks such as “Smash It Like Belushi,” “Fuck Off,” “Stay Young,” “Ballyhoo,” and “Underdog.”

Released in January 2024, Saviors found Green Day teaming up again with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Rob Cavallo, who famously helmed Dookie and American Idiot. The record bowed at #4 on the Billboard 200, marking the band’s 9th career entry in the Top 5 of the respective chart. Saviors received massive critical acclaim upon release and notably garnered three 2025 GRAMMY Award nominations, including “Best Rock Album” and “Best Rock Performance” for “The American Dream Is Killing Me” and “Best Rock Song” for “Dilemma.”

Saviors cemented Green Day as the #1 most-played artist at both US Alternative and US Rock radio in 2024. Saviors also delivered three #1 Alternative hits—their biggest showing since American Idiot—and two #1 Rock hits. “Dilemma” became a juggernaut, ranking as the #3 most-played song at Alternative radio in 2024 and only falling off the charts due to recurrent rules. Meanwhile, their latest single “One Eyed Bastard” is quickly climbing the charts, searching for their fourth #1 hit from this record.

Last year, Green Day dominated stadiums worldwide on their massive sold-out Saviors Tour. They continued into the new year, having just conquered venues across Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and Malaysia. For the first time ever, the band delivered thrilling back-to-back sets of Dookie and American Idiot from top-to-bottom in celebration of the former’s 30th birthday and the latter’s 20th birthday, as well as performed new cuts from Saviors. The Saviors Tour marked Green Day’s biggest tour of their illustrious 30+ year career.

Most recently, Green Day was honored with their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony was emcee’d by Matt Pinfield, with actor/producer Ryan Reynolds and long-time producer Rob Cavallo as guest speakers.

Earlier this year, Green Day delivered unforgettable headlining sets at this year’s Coachella and they plan to bring the same powerful energy to their headlining set at BottleRock Napa Valley tonight. Additionally, the band is set to light up the global festival circuit this year with headliner slots at Riot Fest, Oceans Calling Festival, Ohana Festival, as well as UK’s Download Festival, Sao Paolo’s The Town, Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece, and more. Full tour routing HERE.

Your Saviors summer is about to receive a deluxe upgrade. Buckle up!

Formed in 1986 in Berkeley, CA, Green Day is one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide and 10 billion cumulative audio/visual streams. The five-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees released their breakout album Dookie in 1994, which sold over 10 million and achieved 10x Platinum Diamond status, is widely credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock, catapulting a career-long run of #1 hit singles. Entertainment Weekly calls Green Day, “The most influential band of their generation,” while Rolling Stone attests, “Green Day have inspired more young bands to start than any act this side of Kiss, and that doesn’t seem to be changing.” In 2004, Green Day released the rock opera American Idiot which captured the nation’s attention, selling more than 8 million copies in the U.S. alone and taking home the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. Mojo declared “It’s exhilarating stuff, the kind of record that sets new parameters as to what is possible from a punk rock’n’roll band in the 21st century.” In 2010, a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway to critical and commercial acclaim. Released in 2020, Green Day’s thirteenth studio album Father Of All… debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Album Sales Chart and #1 in both the U.K. and Australia. Pitchfork declared, “Green Day’s most fetching and youthful songs in ages. The trio sounds reinvigorated, more like hungry newcomers staking their claim.” In July 2021, Green Day embarked on The Hella Mega Tour (w/ Fall Out Boy & Weezer). The global tour included 29 sold-out stadium gigs – including renowned venues like London Stadium and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. On January 19, ‘24, the band released their highly anticipated 14th studio album, Saviors, which includes hit singles, “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” which reached #1 on Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay, and “Dilemma.” The album debuted at #1 on seven different Billboard charts and marked their fifth #1 in the UK. Saviors received widespread critical praise, with Rolling Stone describing it as “huge songs and snotty satire for a world on fire,” while The New York Times hailed it as “a decisive, even overdetermined return to form.” The New Yorker summed it up best with “It’s Green Day’s world now.” In 2024, Green Day embarked on a sold-out global stadium tour – The Saviors Tour – where they played Dookie and American Idiot in their entirety, along with other Saviors cuts and fan favorites. The Saviors Tour came to a triumphant close as it serves as Green Day’s biggest tour of their illustrious 30+ year career.

Saviors (édition de luxe) Tracklist:
1. The American Dream Is Killing Me
2. Look Ma, No Brains!
3. Bobby Sox
4. One Eyed Bastard
5. Dilemma
6. 1981
7. Goodnight Adeline
8. Coma City
9. Corvette Summer
10. Suzie Chapstick
11. Strange Days Are Here to Stay
12. Living in the ’20s
13. Father to a Son
14. Saviors
15. Fancy Sauce
16. Smash It Like Belushi
17. Stay Young
18. Fuck Off
19. Ballyhoo
20. Suzie Chapstick (Acoustic)
21. Father to a Son (Acoustic)
22. Underdog

Photo Gallery: Cypress Hill, De La Soul, And The Pharcyde at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum, May 22

Eric Alper
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Photo Gallery: Cypress Hill, De La Soul, And The Pharcyde at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum, May 22

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.

Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde

George Wendt Leg Wrestles John Goodman On The Very First Conan O’Brien Show

Eric Alper
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George Wendt Leg Wrestles John Goodman On The Very First Conan O’Brien Show

On the premiere episode of Late Night With Conan O’Brien on September 13, 1993, George Wendt faced off with John Goodman in an unforgettable leg wrestling match that set the tone for the show’s irreverent charm. With Wendt’s recent passing, the clip feels even more iconic—a perfect tribute to his comedic spirit and larger-than-life warmth.

This funny, strange, and wonderfully silly moment wasn’t just a late-night gag—it marked the beginning of the absurd, unpredictable comedy that would come to define Conan’s legendary run on Late Night.

Trent Reznor And Atticus Ross Revisit Nine Inch Nails’ Iconic Songs And Film Scores

Eric Alper
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Trent Reznor And Atticus Ross Revisit Nine Inch Nails’ Iconic Songs And Film Scores

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails break down their band’s most iconic tracks, “Hurt,” “Head Like a Hole,” “Closer,” and scores from ‘The Social Network,’ ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ ‘Watchmen,’ Pixar’s ‘Soul,’ and newest film ‘Challengers.’

The Band Loula Releases Haunting “Running Off The Angels” Video Featuring Ashley McBryde And Peytan Porter

Eric Alper
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The Band Loula Releases Haunting “Running Off The Angels” Video Featuring Ashley McBryde And Peytan Porter

Emerging country duo The Band Loula releases a powerful new music video for its captivating song, “Running Off the Angels,” today. The striking clip—directed by band member Logan Simmons alongside Ben Humphrey and Corey Bost—features special appearances by Ashley McBryde and fellow Georgian co-writer Peytan Porter.

Written by the duo—Simmons and Malachi Mills—with Porter, “Running Off the Angels” has continued to draw critical attention since its debut last month. Billboard hails it as “an immensely promising release from this duo,” while All Country News calls it “a haunting, culturally charged ballad that cements their place as one of the genre’s most compelling new acts,” and MusicRow proclaims, “Bluesy, swampy and cool, this conjures a spell with its mysterious, haunting, biblical images of damnation and redemption…highly engaging.”

The song also resonated deeply with fans when the band first posted it on social media last year, inspiring many to share personal stories of growing up in the Bible Belt.

Reflecting on the track, The Band Loula shares, “We wrote this song with love in our hearts and fire in our bones. ‘Running Off the Angels’ is a lament born of our roots in the Bible Belt—a story of struggle, judgment and redemption. It’s for those who’ve been cast aside and misunderstood, and a reminder that love, even in its darkest form, can still light the way.”

North Georgia natives and longtime friends, The Band Loula is poised for a major breakout this year, already earning widespread industry attention for the duo’s undeniable chemistry and sibling-tight harmonies. After entering into a landmark partnership with Warner Music Nashville last year, they are currently in the studio working on their debut project with John Osborne (Brothers Osborne). The new music follows earlier singles such as “Marshall County Man,” “Don’t Call Me,” and “A Little at a Time,” each showcasing the group’s powerful storytelling and distinctive swamp-grass sound.

Known for their engaging live performances, Mills and Simmons will make their Grand Ole Opry debut tomorrow, May 23, before joining Dierks Bentley and Zach Top on Bentley’s extensive tour this summer. The band has spent most of the past few years on the road, including dates with Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, Paul Cauthen, Elle King, and Brent Cobb. See below for the current tour itinerary.

THE BAND LOULA — CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

May 23 — Nashville, TN — Grand Ole Opry
May 24 — Brilliant, AL — Coalfest 2025
May 29 — Austin, TX — Moody Center *
May 30 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion *
May 31 — Tulsa, OK — BOK Center *
June 5 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *
June 6 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre *
June 7 — West Palm Beach, FL — iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre *
June 12 — Toronto, ON — Budweiser Stage *
June 14 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre *
June 19 — Chula Vista, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre *
June 20 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre *
June 21 — Albuquerque, NM — Isleta Amphitheater *
June 26 — Los Angeles, CA — Intuit Dome *
June 27 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre *
June 28 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheatre *
July 10 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater *
July 11 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live *
July 12 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center *
July 18 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center *
July 19 — Noblesville, IN — Ruoff Music Center *
July 31 — Salt Lake City, UT — Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre *
Aug 1 — Nampa, ID — Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater *
Aug 7 — Camden, NJ — Freedom Mortgage Pavilion *
Aug 8 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park *
Aug 9 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion *
Aug 14 — Darien Center, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater *
Aug 15 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center *
Aug 16 — Bethel, NY — Bethel Woods Center for the Arts *
Aug 21 — Savannah, GA — Enmarket Arena *
Aug 22 — Birmingham, AL — Coca-Cola Amphitheatre *
Aug 23 — Biloxi, MS — Mississippi Coast Coliseum *
Aug 24 — Gainesville, GA — Smithgall Arts Center
Aug 28 — New York, NY — Madison Square Garden *
Aug 29 — Burgettstown, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake *
Aug 30 — Clarkston, MI — Pine Knob Music Theatre *

Lynyrd Skynyrd Release First-Ever Official Video For Rock Anthem “Free Bird”

Eric Alper
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Lynyrd Skynyrd Release First-Ever Official Video For Rock Anthem “Free Bird”

Today, UMe presents the first-ever official music video for “Free Bird” the iconic song from the legendary Florida rock band and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Lynyrd Skynyrd. Fittingly, the song lands just in time for Memorial Day weekend, where the song is a staple at many gatherings across the U.S.

“Allen Collins wrote the music to it, he wrote the beginning and I wrote the end. Ronnie said ‘There’s too many chords, I can’t write words to that many chords.’  We were on the couch, and Ronnie said ‘play that again’ and after two or three times, all of sudden he said ‘What do you think about this.’ Then he’d sing the whole song to you….He wouldn’t write it down. He thought if you couldn’t remember it, it wasn’t worth keeping.’ – Gary Rossington, 2019

“Free Bird” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. For over five decades, the song has resonated from one generation to the next. “Free Bird” remains not only one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s most recognizable hits, but also one of the most famous rock songs of all-time. It originally closed out the band’s full-length debut LP, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), released in 1973. The song reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Speaking to the song’s longevity, it has generated a staggering 773 million Spotify streams and counting with numerous high-profile renditions including Bob Dylan. Most recently, Dolly Parton joined forces with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Artimus Pyle to record “Free Bird” for her 2023 album. A cultural touchstone, it has appeared in films ranging from Forrest Gump to Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Everybody everywhere knows ‘Free Bird.’ It’s played at graduations, weddings, and funerals.” – Gary Rossington, 2019

The long overdue official video for, “Free Bird” finally has its release this summer.

Director Max Moore [Knocked Loose, Chloe Moriondo] helmed the nine minute-plus cinematic visual. Although there are many interpretations to the song’s meaning, this interpretation of the epic song is a nostalgic narrative of eternal love and the timeless spirit of “Free Bird” with its own relatable and uplifting American tale of true love.

Kaiser Chiefs Announce ‘Employment’ 20th Anniversary Reissue And Summer Celebration Shows

Eric Alper
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Kaiser Chiefs Announce ‘Employment’ 20th Anniversary Reissue And Summer Celebration Shows

Following the announcement of a run of very special outdoor celebration shows, which include a massive hometown show at Leeds’ Temple Newsam Park later this month, Yorkshire indie icons Kaiser Chiefs have announced a 20th anniversary release of their seminal debut album Employment. The album will come July 18th.

A year typically commemorated with china, Kaiser Chiefs will mark 20 years of their iconic debut album Employment with three brand new expanded ‘China Anniversary’ formats. The 1LP edition is pressed on white vinyl, and includes ‘bonus’ track ‘Take My Temperature’; the 2LP set features 15 additional tracks, including a selection of B-Sides and CD single bonus tracks, plus two previously unreleased songs, exclusive to this format. On the 3CD set, alongside the original album, the band have added 40 tracks, including previously unreleased demo recordings, remixes, radio sessions, and a selection of live tracks that chart their rapid rise from small club dates in Leeds, to festival headline act. The original album has been remastered at Abbey Road Studios, and the bonus material was curated by the band from their own archive.

Originally released in March 2005, the album landed to wide-spread acclaim and has gone on to become one of the most successful debut albums from a UK band. Peaking at No. 2 on the UK album chart, the record has since spent more than 17 months on the Official Top 40 chart, selling more than 2.1 million copies in the process, and being certified 7 x Platinum status by the British Phonographic Industry. Featuring a host of hit singles including ‘Oh My God’, ‘I Predict A Riot’, ‘Everyday I Love You Less And Less’ and ‘Modern Way’, the album catapulted the band to into the music world’s stratosphere, setting them onto the path of arena mainstays and festival headline status across the world.

“20 years ago, a brand new song by a brand new band was released. ‘I Predict A Riot’ was the start of something really special for some musicians from Leeds,” the band reminisced. “And the album that followed, ‘Employment’, changed our lives and has soundtracked the lives of millions of others since 2005. In 2025 we are saluting 20 years of that album and everyone is invited. Come celebrate the 2000’s, loving everything less & less and stripey blazers taking over the world..”

To coincide with the release Kaiser Chiefs will also be taking the celebrations out on the road this summer. Kicking off  in Port Talbot on May 23rd, the band will play a run of outdoor shows across the UK stopping off in Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Brighton, Cumbria & Newquay – full dates below.

2025 OUTDOOR SHOWS
May
Thur 22nd Live at Argyle Home Park Stadium,Plymouth, UK
Fri 23rd In It Together Festival, Port Talbot, UK
Sat 31st Temple Newsam, Leeds, UK

June
Sun 22nd Pinkpop Festival, Amsterdam, NL
Thur 26th Bristol Sounds, Bristol, UK
Sat 28th Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, UK

July
Fri 4th Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, UK
Thu 10th Weekend Beach Festival, Malaga, ESP
Fri 11th Mad Cool Festival, Madrid, ESP
Sat 12th Cruilla Barcelona, Barcelona, ESP
Sat 19th Alexandra Palace Park, London, UK
Sun 20th Splendour Festival, Nottingham, UK
Mon 21st Tall Ship Races, Aberdeen, UK
Sat 26th Latitude, Suffolk, UK
Sun 27th Brighton Beach, Brighton, UK
Thu 31st Kendal Calling, Cumbria, UK

August
Sat 2nd Suikkerock Festival, Tienan, BE
Sun 3rd Ronquieres Festival, Braine-la-Comte, BE
Fri 8th Boardmasters, Newquay, UK
Sun 10th The Weekender, Belfast, UK
Sat 23rd The National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, ROI
Sun 24th Live at the Docklands, Limerick, ROI

Formed in Leeds in 2000, Kaiser Chiefs are one of the most exciting and consistently successful bands of their generation. Fronted by the charismatic Ricky Wilson, with Simon Rix on bass, Andrew ‘Whitey’ White on guitar, Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines on keyboards and drummer Vijay Mistry, the band have released eight original studio albums (two of those UK No. 1), had nine Top 40 singles, including the No. 1 ‘Ruby’, received three Brit Awards, an Ivor Novello Album of the Year award for Employment, toured with U2, Foo Fighters and Green Day and sold more than eight million albums worldwide.

Conan Gray Announces New Album ‘Wishbone’ Arriving August 15

Eric Alper
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Conan Gray Announces New Album ‘Wishbone’ Arriving August 15

Today, multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter Conan Gray surprises fans with the announcement of new album, Wishbone, arriving August 15 via Republic Records.  In addition to unveiling the forthcoming album title, track listing, and artwork, Conan reveals the first single “This Song” will arrive on Friday, May 30.

Conan Gray comments on the surprise announcement, “Over the past two years, I’ve been secretly writing songs. After shows in the basements of the venues, in the sheets of my hotel beds, in narrow gaps between tours— I’d come back home and write all the things I felt nobody wanted to hear. Maybe even the things I didn’t want people to hear.”

“It felt like the music was reminding me who I am, at an experimental time in my twenties where “who i am” had no definition at all.” Conan continues, “I played the songs to the very first person I’d ever made music with, Dan Nigro, and I quietly began to record. I didn’t know why I was recording, I just was. I didn’t know what story I was telling, I was just living in it. Slowly I started to see myself in full picture.  The slivers of myself I’d always been, but never faced. The songs I’d always been writing, but never singing. Before I knew it I was surrounded by an album. That album is Wishbone.”

Much like his first two albums, Conan wrote all the songs on Wishbone from his bedroom, and has reunited with Grammy Award winning longtime collaborator Dan Nigro as executive producer.  Nigro previously produced Conan’s debut EP Sunset Season in 2018, as well as Gray’s first two albums, Kid Krow (2020) and Superache (2022).  In addition, Conan worked with Ethan Gruska (Phoebe Bridgers), Noah Conrad, Luka Kloser and Elvira as producers on Wishbone.

On Wishbone, Conan Gray returns to his singer-songwriter roots after falling in love for the first time.

Nobody has tapped into the thoughts and feelings of this era quite like Conan Gray has. The Texas native has transformed into the Gen Z singer-songwriter by never losing sight of where he came from, still writing songs in his bedroom, hand-drawing his art, and designing a world without comparison. 2020 saw him leave an indelible imprint on popular culture with his full-length debut LP, Kid Krow. Produced by longtime collaborator and GRAMMY® Award winner Dan Nigro, it bowed at #5 on the Billboard 200, went Platinum, and yielded a series of signature smashes, including the 4x-Platinum “Heather,” 3x-Platinum “Maniac,” and Gold-Certified “Comfort Crowd,” “The Story,” “Wish You Were Sober,” and “The Cut That Always Bleeds.” Among these staples, he entered rarified air with “Heather,” becoming “one of a handful of songs with 2 billion streams penned by one writer (Conan).”  With 12 billion total streams to date, Conan returned to the top of the charts with Superache [2022] and Found Heaven[2024]. Moreover, he has incited the applause of The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQ, V Man, PAPER, The FADER, Billboard, and NPR in addition to performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, TODAY, and more. He has taken flight as an arena headliner, selling out hallowed venues such as Madison Square Garden. A fixture at events like the Met Gala, Conan’s just as uncompromisingly influential as a style icon, embracing a fashion-forward aesthetic like no other. Beyond thriving as a songwriter, he serves as the core creative director, shaping every layer of his vision down to creating cover art and co-directing music videos. He turns the page on his next chapter in 2025 with his fourth full-length album, Wishbone [Republic Records], beginning with the single “This Song.”

Wishbone Tracklisting:
1. Actor
2. This Song
3. Vodka Cranberry
4. Romeo
5. My World
6. Class Clown
7. Nauseous
8. Caramel
9. Connell
10. Sunset Tower
11. Eleven Eleven
12. Care

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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