Recorded live to tape in just two days, Robert Ellis’s exquisite new album, Yesterday’s News, is as stripped-down as it gets, with the celebrated songwriter and producer’s delicate, reedy tenor accompanied only by nylon string guitar, upright bass, and the occasional piece of handheld percussion. The arrangements are harmonically sophisticated here, drawing on the open tunings and intricate fingerpicking of English songwriters like Nick Drake or Richard Thompson, and Ellis’s performances are similarly subtle and nuanced, tapping into the bittersweet longing of Chet Baker and the playful poignancy of Bill Evans and Jim Hall.

While that might seem surprising coming off 2019’s raucous Texas Piano Man, subverting expectations is nothing new for Ellis. Born and raised outside Houston, he gained early acclaim for his piercing introspection and absorbing narratives, but over the course of five solo albums, he flirted with everything from Paul Simon and John Prine to Elton John and Joni Mitchell in a series of sonic and visual transformations that ran the gamut from Redneck Steely Dan to Lone Star Liberace. NPR hailed his “musical daring and impeccable songcraft,” while Rolling Stone praised his “sharp eye for storytelling,” and the New York Times lauded his writing as an emotional “gut punch.”

Yesterday’s News marks Ellis’s debut LP for Niles City Records, an outgrowth of the famed Niles City Sound studio he and longtime collaborator Josh Block run in Fort Worth, TX.

https://texaspianoman.com/

Philip Bowen is an Appalachian born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music

is rooted in folk tradition, regional storytelling, and lived experience. Raised in West Virginia,

Bowen began playing fiddle at age four and developed a distinctive sound that blends

Appalachian textures with modern Americana songwriting.

He has built a substantial and engaged audience through touring and online performance,

reaching over 1.5 million followers across platforms. His early momentum included a win at

TikTok’s Greatest Talent competition and appearances at key rooms and stages including The

Bluebird Cafe, 3rd and Lindsley, NPR’s Mountain Stage, Americanafest, and an official

showcase at Folk Alliance International.

Bowen’s debut album Old Kanawha marked a breakout period in 2023, alongside a spotlight at

AmericanaFest and a semifinal run on America’s Got Talent. He has since shared stages with

artists such as Darius Rucker, 49 Winchester, Wyatt Flores, Ian Munsick, Charles Wesley

Godwin, and Josiah and the Bonnevilles.

An accomplished session musician with hundreds of recorded credits, Bowen has contributed

fiddle and instrumentation for artists including Noah Kahan, Sam Barber, Zandi Holup, and

Jenna Paulette. His work has been recognized by Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Whiskey

Riff, and Ross Golan’s And the Demo Is.

In 2025, Bowen released his sophomore album Appalachia Forever, featuring collaborations

with Charles Wesley Godwin, Madison Hughes, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, Leon Majcen, and

Julia DiGrazia. The release was supported by his first headlining tour beginning in August,

followed by support dates with Dwight Yoakam, Kashus Culpepper, Sam Burchfield, and

Whiskey Myers. He continues to build a growing national audience through consistent releases,

touring, and a focused return to roots based songwriting.

http://philipbowenmusic.com/