Judah & the Lion, Flora Cash
The Sylvee 25 S. Livingston St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Connor & Rachel Dwyer
Judah & the Lion
It’s been said that great art is inspired by great suffering, and if that’s true, then Judah & The Lion can check more than a few boxes with Pep Talks, the Nashville band’s third studio album. Frontman Judah Akers watched his family implode, then used the experience to expand the band’s musical horizons, incorporating, of all things, electronica into J & the L’s familiar alterna-folk rock mix. Album-track collabs with Kacey Musgraves and Jon Bellion have also expanded the band’s reach well beyond the “Take it All Back” fan base. Apparently, what doesn’t kill you doesn’t just make you stronger — it also makes you evolve musically. With Flora Cash.
$32.50 ($27.50 adv.).
press release:
Judah & the Lion is fresh off the release of their third full-length studio album Pep Talks which was released on May 3, 2019, via Cletus the Van/Caroline and are hitting the road all fall on their massive Pep Talks Worldwide Tour! Full dates are below!
Pep Talks is an intimate look at vocalist/songwriter Judah Akers life that was personally unravelling while the band’s success was skyrocketing. Pep Talks is Judah & the Lion’s first to feature outside collaborators, including Grammy Album of the Year Winner Kacey Musgraves and Alternative staple and past touring mate Jon Bellion. The album debuted at #2 on several Billboard Charts, including Alternative Albums, Rock Albums, Internet Albums, and Independent Albums, #4 Vinyl Albums upon release and has already spawned two Alternative hits - "Over my head" and "Why Did You Run?" which as of July 31 is at #12 and climbing!
"Why Did You Run?" by Judah & the Lion
Since March, the band has made appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The TODAY Show, and Good Morning Football, been featured by Billboard, Men’s Health, BUILD Series, Alternative Press and even curated their own issue of Good Grit Magazine.
Judah & the Lion has been a family unto itself since forming at Nashville's Belmont University in 2011. Judah was from nearby Cookeville, an aspiring baseball player with a secret love for folk guitar. Brian, from Chicagoland, was mostly obsessed with piano. Coloradan Nate was a son of symphony players but preferred metal. Their differences were their strength as they crafted their sound over a bluegrass-heavy debut, Kids These Days, and a mold-breaking follow-up, Folk Hop n' Roll, both produced by Dave Cobb. In 2017, their triumphant "Take It All Back" topped the alternative songs chart for three weeks in a row, paving the way for a Best New Rock/Alternative Artist win at the 2018 iHeartRadio Awards, numerous TV appearances, and tours with twenty one pilots, Incubus, Kaleo, Jimmy Eat World, and more.