It’s a golden weekly roundup of new music and premieres! You Gotta Hear This.
Kicking off the collection, San Francisco-based bluegrassers the Brothers Comatose unveil “25 Miles,” a single from their upcoming album, Golden Grass. The full project arrives in September, but you need not journey that far to hear “25 miles,” which is available everywhere today. Listen below.
Then, Nashville Americana duo Goldpine keep the shimmering, golden aura going with “Space,” a blend of futurism and roots music about craving a break from the rat race and the “real world.” Goldpine’s brand new album, Three – their third, indeed – releases today, so we’re happy to spotlight a track from the project in celebration.
Alaskan bluegrass and country artist Josh Fortenbery shows off his new, expanded sound with “City Lights,” a song – and accompanying music video – about aging, opportunity, and anxiety that’s twangy and danceable even wrapped up in existential pondering. Plus, Mountain Home Music Company recording artist Jesse Smathers declares “If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)” in his latest single, a tongue-in-cheek number that you’re sure to find hilarious and top notch.
To close us out on New Music Friday, Duluth, Minnesota’s Ross Thorn brings us “Baby, That’s All I Need.” With a folky sound and backed by lovely finger-picked guitar, the song is about empathy and, as Thorn puts it, “…Seeing the divine in everything, and seeing the divine in yourself.” It’s a perfect bookend for this week’s roundup.
We appreciate you joining us each week for new music. Because you know what we think – You Gotta Hear This!
The Brothers Comatose, “25 Miles”
Artist: The Brother Comatose
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Song: “25 Miles”
Album: Golden Grass
Release Date: July 16, 2025 (single); September 12, 2025 (album)
Label: Swamp Jam Records
In Their Words: “’25 Miles’ was born out of a late-night drive from the SF Bay Area to LA, up and over the Grapevine, and a feeling that most of us know all too well: the weight of the world pressing down as we’re trying to outrun it. It’s about restless energy, being burned out and broke, with only dreams and close friends guiding you to your destination.
“It was written during a time of uncertainty and mental noise, and explores the tension between responsibility and freedom, and momentum and stillness.
“The line, ’25 miles to go and we’re running out of gas,’ is a metaphor for the transitional moments when you’re not quite sure where you’re headed, but you know you can’t turn back. There’s a subtle ache and a longing to escape not just a place, but also pressure, expectation, and the past. It’s about how getting lost is part of the plan, and survival sometimes looks like singing too loud with the windows down.” – Ben Morrison
Josh Fortenbery, “City Lights”
Artist: Josh Fortenbery
Hometown: Juneau, Alaska
Song: “City Lights”
Album: Tidy Memorial
Release Date: July 11, 2025 (single); October 10, 2025 (album)
Label: Muskeg Collective
In Their Words: “This melody has been kicking around since I was in high school and I’ve returned to it and slowly tweaked the lyrics over the years. It definitely captures the expansion in my sound since the last record, but also highlights that internally, I feel as lost as ever. My anxiety around aging is pretty new – I think I’m finally recognizing that some doors are closed or closing, and I’m trying to decide if I’m still having fun.
“I worked with a videographer in Juneau, David Rossow, to visually capture the feeling of standing still in a small town while the world moves rapidly past. We probably weirded out some tourists walking in slow motion while singing the song at .2 speed, but it definitely shows off my local haunts and the local life that sometimes haunts me.” – Josh Fortenbery
Track Credits:
Josh Fortenbery – Vocals, guitar
Erik Clampitt – Pedal Steel
Kat Moore –Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3
Sam Roberts – Bass
Todd Vierra – Drums
Kennedy Jo Kruchoski – Vocals
Taylor Dallas Vidic – Vocals
Video Credits: Directed by David Rossow.
Goldpine, “Space”
Artist: Goldpine
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Space”
Album: Three
Release Date: July 11, 2025
In Their Words: “We spend a lot of time on the road these days… it’s just become our regular life now. It seems like we drive so much, and do so much computer work, and are on the move so often that we just really cherish our breaks and time off. ‘Space’ is kind of like a stream of consciousness song about the desire for a break from the real world stuff. It’s a space-aged dreamy Americana tune with futuristic sounds and a rockin’ guitar solo. This tune was recorded from a compilation of live takes from shows on the road last year and mastered by engineer Dave McNair (Shovels & Rope, Brandi Carlile). We really captured the raw live performance feel on this tune, which is what we specialize in.” – Goldpine
Jesse Smathers, “If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)”
Artist: Jesse Smathers
Hometown: Floyd, Virginia
Song: “If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)”
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “This tune was fun as could be to write and record. ‘If It Ain’t Broke (Don’t Fix It)’ is a common saying most folks have heard. I know I’ve heard it my whole life. However, the family in this tune must not be up to speed on the old idiom. This tune is a tongue-in-cheek reminder that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – just leave well enough alone.” – Jesse Smathers
Track Credits:
Jesse Smathers – Guitar, lead vocal
Hunter Berry – Fiddle
Corbin Hayslett – Banjo
Nick Goad – Mandolin, harmony vocal
Joe Hannabach – Upright Bass
Ross Thorn, “Baby, That’s All I Need”
Artist: Ross Thorn
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Song: “Baby, That’s All I Need”
Album: Fitting In
Release Date: July 11, 2025 (single); August 8, 2025 (album)
In Their Words: “I began writing this one morning after I went for a walk in the graveyard, a swim in Lake Superior during a storm, and came home to see a robin in the yard. It’s a song about radical empathy, seeing yourself in everything, seeing the divine in everything, and seeing the divine in yourself. We recorded the song live at the fabled Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. To me, the song feels like John Prine collaborated with the rooster from the old Robin Hood cartoon (AKA Roger Miller), with a blend of honesty, humor, and some good old-fashioned whistling.” – Ross Thorn
Track Credits:
Ross Thorn – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Clark Singleton – Bass
Cassandra Sotos – Violin, vocals
Jacob Mahon – Banjo, vocals
Ian Hopp – Drums
Kyle Orla – Acoustic guitar, vocals
Photo Credit: The Brothers Comatose by Jessie McCall; Goldpine by Raechel Curtis.
