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Bruce Springsteen is proud to have been born in the U.S.A., but he’s not particularly happy with its leadership right now.
At the first show of his Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour in Manchester, England, the rock star slammed President Donald Trump’s administration from the Co-Op Live stage Wednesday (May 14). “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll, in dangerous times,” he told his cheering crowd moments after he walked on.
“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” he continued, as captured in a clip filmed by a concertgoer and posted to X. “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.”
Springsteen went on to sing the trek’s namesake song, 2001’s “Land of Hopes and Dreams,” which includes the lyrics: “Dreams will not be thwarted/ Faith will be rewarded/ Hear the steel wheels singing/ Bells of freedom ringing.”
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The Boss has long been vocal about his opposition to the sitting president. In the 2024 election, Springsteen endorsed Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris, and four years prior, he opened up about his fears surrounding the twice-impeached POTUS’ first bid for a second White House term back in the 2020 race.
“I believe that our current president is a threat to our democracy,” he told The Atlantic of Trump at the time. “He simply makes any kind of reform that much harder. I don’t know if our democracy could stand another four years of his custodianship. These are all existential threats to our democracy and our American way of life.”
At Wednesday’s show, Springsteen echoed these sentiments during a mid-show speech. “In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death,” he told fans before singing “My City of Ruins.”
“And in my country, they are taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers, they are rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society,” he continued. “They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom.”
The performance marks the first of several tour dates Springsteen and the E Street Band have scheduled this summer. After two more dates in Manchester, he’ll perform at venues in France, Spain, Germany and Italy through the beginning of July.
The Doors’ story, strange days and otherwise, has been told many times to date — by writers, by filmmakers, by the band members themselves in their respective memoirs. But the new Night Divides The Day: The Doors Anthology book puts all of their accounts (and more) alongside each other for the first time ever.
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The opulent, coffee-table sized 344-page book was created by England’s Genesis Publications, in partnership with the Doors camp, as part of the group’s 60th anniversary celebration. Featuring about 800 photos and other illustrations (many never before seen), the tome includes new interviews with surviving members Robby Krieger and John Densmore, along with material from the autobiographies and archival comments from Krieger, Densmore and late members Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic wrote the foreword, while Van Morrison, Alice Cooper, Patti Smith and others join members of the Doors’ camp in offering commentary throughout the book.
Key events in the band’s history are recounted in depth — including the making of each album, the legendary Hollywood Bowl concert in July 1968 and the March 1, 1969, Dinner Key Auditorium show in Miami, after which Morrison was arrested for profanity and indecent exposure. And for gear aficionados, Night Divides The Day is awash in images of guitars, keyboards, drums and even Morrison’s microphones and harmonicas.
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“It really shows you a lot of the hidden Doors stuff that a lot of people don’t know about,” Krieger, who published Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar With the Doors in 2021, tells Billboard. “Just seeing the old pictures — a lot of pictures I’ve never seen, which is pretty cool. And reading a lot of interviews, stuff that I’ve forgotten all about…To go back in time and read the original stuff that you might have forgotten about or had the wrong idea of, it is nice to have everything in one (book) like this. I think it’s really done well.”
Krieger is also happy that in addition to the limited edition — 2,000 copies signed by the guitarist and Densmore, with a 7-inch vinyl single featuring rare demo versions of “Hello, I Love You” and “Moonlight Drive” and other memorabilia for $495 — there’s also a standard book store edition, which weighs in at $75.
“I think over the past sort of 10 years Genesis has been doing this more and more with selected titles,” the company’s Nick Roylance explains. “With the amount of work that goes into a book like this it’s nice to share it with a broader audience and…share their story more widely. It’s really lovely to do the limited edition that’s so special for those fans that can afford it; it’s a different experience of the book. But it’s genuinely meaningful to make it more widely available.”
The Doors
Genesis was introduced to the Doors’ world via A Guide to the Labyrinth: The Collected Works of Jim Morrison, featuring poetry, lyrics, essays and unpublished notes that the company published in May 2022. “We started there and got to know the archives and what we were working with photo-wise,” recalls Night Divides The Day editor Megan Lily Large. “So we had an idea of what we wanted with the design, and then it was just what (the Doors) wanted to tell with the text…We wanted to present their stories as authentically as we could, through their own words, through their own archives and give readers an insight they might not have been afforded until now.”
Lily Large considers the gear photos to be among the book’s holy grail content; some of the instruments had to be tracked down in private collections. And getting Van Morrison’s fresh remembrance of Jim Morrison joining him and his band Them during the last night of a 1966 stand at the Whisky A Go Go for “Gloria” and “The Midnight Hour,” filled with praise for Morrison’s performing chops, was a particularly rare get.
“I think he was quite excited to see the photos” from the performance by Whisky photographer George Rodriguez, Roylance says. Lily Large adds that, “We had these great photos of both of them, so we reached out to Van — ‘Have you seen these? We would love to get a couple of words from you, if we can, even a quote.’ And he came back with a full piece. My favorite part is when he describes Jim as ‘a brother from another mother.’ Which is quite a shock.”
Night Divides The Day is one of a number of projects for the Doors’ 60th celebration, which began last November with Rhino’s High Fidelity audiophile vinyl The Doors 1967-1971 and a Record Store Black Friday vinyl edition of The Doors — Live in Detroit. That show is also part of a series of concert releases from the Doors’ own Bright Midnight label from 1967-1970 streaming for the first time. The group acquired a recently discovered two-channel stereo recording of the final show with Jim Morrison — albeit a disappointing night on Dec. 12, 1970, at the Warehouse in New Orleans — that it’s working to turn into an official release.
“That’s gonna be coming out one of these days,” says Krieger, who was joined by Densmore on stage May 3 at during his monthly Doors album show at the Whisky. “We’re trying to get that together. We know there’s a tape that exists; that’s half the battle right there. I haven’t actually heard it, but I heard it’s pretty damn good, quality-wise.”
Krieger is staying busy with his own work as well these days. He’s planning a second album by the Soul Savages to follow up its 2024 debut, and he’s already recorded a rock-reggae album, featuring the late Phil Chen on bass, that he hopes to release this year. Krieger also guests on “Black Mamba,” the first single from The Revenge of Alice Cooper — a reunion of original band members who became tight with Krieger and the Doors during the late ‘60s in Los Angeles. “That was fun,” he says. “We would hang out together quite a bit back in the day. That (song) was right up my alley.”
Meanwhile, Krieger says he plans to keep enjoying the Doors anniversary celebration – and see what may transpire in the future.
“It’s amazing,” he says. “Even 20 years ago, the 40th anniversary, I was telling people I couldn’t imagine this happening. The only ones that have beaten us are the Stones and the Beatles, pretty much. There’s plenty of groups out there who were formed around the same time as we did, and they don’t have the (continuing) interest that we do. It’s definitely (because of) the songs, the words and the music. It was just an amazing combination of people, the four of us, who came together, and it probably happens once every 60 years. We don’t take it for granted.”
Industry executives Daniel Oakley, Darren Potuck and Cage the Elephant co-founder/guitarist Brad Shultz have partnered to form the new label Parallel Vision, it was revealed to Billboard on Wednesday (May 14). Additionally, the Nashville and Los Angeles-based label announced it has formed a joint venture with Big Loud Rock (the alternative/rock imprint of Big Loud Records) to sign its flagship artist, rock duo Girl Tones.
Composed of sisters Kenzie and Laila, Girl Tones has opened shows for Cage the Elephant in Europe and later joined The Velveteers and hey, nothing on those acts’ stateside shows. In July, the duo will join Silversun Pickups on a run of North American shows and is also slated to play festivals including Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees and Austin City Limits.
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To mark the signing, Girl Tones released its new single and video, “Blame,” on Wednesday. Described as “vintage-tinged,” the Casey Pierce-directed video was filmed at Nashville’s Dive Motel and plays up the trope of sibling rivalry.
“We’ve been friends for nearly two decades, each carving out different corners of the industry — artist, executive, creative, while also working and creating together throughout those years,” said Oakley in a statement. “Brad had spent the last several years developing and producing artists while Darren and I worked with major music and entertainment companies.”
Added Shlutz, “We were presented with a chance to have our own outlet to further develop and release the music. Parallel Vision is that avenue. It’s honestly a blessing the way it all came together. Girl Tones is the perfect first chapter. They’ve gone from local stages to global releases and touring internationally in under a year — and we’re just getting started.”
On the label’s partnership with Big Loud Rock, Potuck added, “At Parallel Vision, we’re driven by a desire to support artists who push boundaries. Partnering with Big Loud Rock gives us the infrastructure and momentum to take that vision to a much bigger audience — without compromising the art. We’re excited to build something that respects creativity while delivering at the highest level.”
Joey Moi, a Big Loud partner and president at Big Loud Rock, added, “Big Loud Rock is honored to be in partnership with the renowned team at Parallel Vision and their first signing Girl Tones. As part of our label’s mission to develop the next generation of alternative-rock artists, these strategic partnerships will be part of our core mission as we continue to build and take this company to new heights.”
Big Loud Rock is also home to artists including Blame My Youth, Bizzy and Sikarus.
The Foo Fighters have booked their first gig of 2025. The veteran rockers announced on Tuesday night (May 13) that they will headline day two (October 4) of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix concerts as part of a three-day roster of all-star shows supporting the race. “Singapore. See you soon!!!” the band wrote in the […]
Queens of the Stone Age have announced the release of their unique live performance in the Catacombs of Paris as a concert film and album.
Recorded in July 2024 and set to be released on June 6 via Matador Records/Remote Control Records, the unique performance saw the rock outfit head beneath the surface of Paris to perform within the sprawling 200-mile ossuary. According to a description of the location, its foundation is built out of “several million bodies buried in the 1700s,” with many of the walls composed of skulls and bones.
Frontman Josh Homme had dreamed of organizing such a performance since visiting almost two decades earlier, though was denied permission by the city of Paris, who had never previously allowed a band to play within. However, the respect the band held for the location ultimately resulted in their performance officially being sanctioned.
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“The Catacombs of Paris are a fertile ground for the imagination,” said Hélène Furminieux of Les Catacombes de Paris. “It is important to us that artists take hold of this universe and offer a sensitive interpretation of it. Going underground and confronting reflections on death can be a deeply intense experience.
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“Josh seems to have felt in his body and soul the full potential of this place. The recordings resonate perfectly with the mystery, history, and a certain introspection, notably perceptible in the subtle use of the silence within the Catacombs.”
The unique nature of the location results in Homme and his bandmates – Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore – being backed by three-piece string section as they perform a stripped-back set planned and played with deference to the Catacombs.
Recorded live with no overdubs or edits, the performance is paired with the acoustic ambience of dripping water, echoes and natural resonance as atmospheric lighting spotlights the band.
“We’re so stripped down because that place is so stripped down, which makes the music so stripped down, which makes the words so stripped down,” Homme explains. “It would be ridiculous to try to rock there. All those decisions were made by that space. That space dictates everything, it’s in charge. You do what you’re told when you’re in there.”
Queens of the Stone Age: Alive in the Catacombs will be available to rent or purchase via the band’s website, with an audio-only release to be announced in the coming weeks.
Notably, this isn’t Queens of the Stone Age’s first subterranean gig, with the group previously performing 2,300 feet underground at German salt mine, Erlebnisbergwerk Sondershausen, in November 2007. Originally planned for wider release, the semi-acoustic performance is yet to see the light of day, with the band’s split with Interscope Records assumed by fans to be the reason for its indefinite delay.
Some of Australia’s biggest musical exports are up for high-profile honors at this year’s AIR Awards, set to be handed out on July 31 at the Adelaide Town Hall in South Australia.
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Leading the charge in this year’s event are the likes of Royel Otis, who are up for four awards, just one year after being named breakthrough independent artist of the year at the 2024 edition. This year sees them up for the likes of best independent rock album or EP, independent album of the year, and independent marketing team of the year.
Royel Otis will be in fine company, sharing the former two categories with both Amyl and the Sniffers and King Stingray. Amyl, meanwhile, are also up for independent song of the year for “U Should Not Be Doing That,” which recently took out song of the year at the APRA Music Awards last month.
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Other well-represented artists at this year’s ceremony are Emily Wurramara, Confidence Man and Alice Ivy, who are up for four awards each, with the latter pair in contention for best independent dance, electronica or club single and Best Independent Dance or Electronica Album or EP. Acts such as Indigenous hip-hop supergroup 3%, Gut Health, and others are also hoping to take home multiples at the event.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to recognise the work the independent music industry does in providing talented and emerging artists and music businesses with a platform to share their art with a wider audience,” commented South Australian minister for arts, Andrea Michaels MP.
Officially known as the Australian Independent Record Awards, the awards were first established in 2006 as an effort to “recognise, promote, and celebrate the success of Australia’s Independent Music sector.” This year also features a new category, with independent mix, studio or mastering engineer of the year set to be handed out at the July ceremony for the first time.
Some of Australia’s biggest musical exports have been recognized by the AIRs in recent years, including RVG, who took home last year’s best independent album for Brain Worms, and Jem Cassar-Daley, whose “King of Disappointment” was named best independent single/EP.
2025 AIR Awards Nominations
Best Independent Blues And Roots Album or EPEmma Donovan – Til My Song Is DoneLittle Quirks – Little QuirksMia Dyson – Tender HeartQueenie – New MoultSteph Strings – Cradle Mountain
Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP3% – Kill The DeadDobby – Warrangu; River StoryLithe – What Would You Do?Miss Kaninna – KaninnaZiggy Ramo – Human?
Best Independent Country Album or EPHenry Wagons – The Four SeasonsKasey Chambers – BackboneLane Pittman – Lane PittmanMichael Waugh – Beauty & TruthThe Whitlams Black Stump – Kookaburra
Best Independent Jazz Album or EPClaire Cross – Sleep CycleLucy Clifford – Between Spaces Of KnowingMolly Lewis – On The LipsParvyn – MaujudaSam Anning – Earthen
Best Independent Classical Album or EPAustralian Chamber Orchestra – Memoir Of A SnailElectric Fields X Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In ConcertKatie Noonan & Karin Schaupp – Songs Of The Southern Skies Vol 2Nat Bartsch – Forever ChangedSimon Mavin – Some Days EP
Best Independent Children’s Album or EPBunny Racket – PowerEmma Memma – Twirly TunesTeeny Tiny Stevies – The Green AlbumThe Quokkas – Songs For Silly BilliesThe Wiggles – The Wiggles Sound System: Rave Of Innocence
Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club SingleAlice Ivy – Do I Need To Know What Love Is? Feat. Josh TeskeyConfidence Man – I Can’t Lose YouHaiku Hands – KicksMoktar – Haraka ’حركة’Odd Mob – Vertigo Feat. Ed Graves
Best Independent Punk Album or EPDon’t Thank Me, Spank Me! – Don’t Thank Me, Spank Me!Dune Rats – If It Sucks, Turn It UpGut Health – StilettoRadio Free Alice – PolyesterRegurgitator – Invader
Best Independent Heavy Album or EPNorthlane – Mirror’s EdgeOcean Grove – OddworldRedhook – MutationThe Amity Affliction – Let The Ocean Take Me (Redux)The Southern River Band – D.I.Y
Best Independent Dance or Electronica Album or EP1tbsp – Megacity1000Alice Ivy – Do What Makes You HappyConfidence Man – 3am (La La La)Ninajirachi – Girl EdmPnau – Hyperbolic
Best Independent Rock Album or EPAmyl And The Sniffers – Cartoon DarknessKing Stingray – For The DreamsParty Dozen – Crime In AustraliaRoyel Otis – Pratts & PainThe Rions – Happiness In A Place It Shouldn’t Be
Best Independent Soul/Rnb Album or EPBeckah Amani – This Is How I Remember It.Don West – Don WestElla Thompson – Ripple On The WingMilan Ring – MangosRadical Son – Bilambiyal
Best Independent Pop Album or EPAnnie Hamilton – Stop And Smell The LightningAsha Jefferies – Ego RideEmma Russack – About The GirlGood Morning – Good Morning SevenSheppard – Zora
Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year – Presented By PPCA3%Gut HealthMiss KaninnaQueenieThe Dreggs
Independent Song of the YearAlice Ivy – Do I Need To Know What Love Is? Feat. Josh TeskeyAmyl And The Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing ThatJem Cassar-Daley – Big ContainerOcean Alley – TangerineSycco – Meant To Be
Independent Album of the YearAmyl And The Sniffers – Cartoon DarknessEmily Wurramara – NaraKing Stingray – For The DreamsRoyel Otis – Pratts & PainThe Dreggs – Caught In A Reverie
Best Independent LabelABC MusicDinosaur CityEtcetc.I Oh YouImpressed Recordings
Independent Marketing Team of the YearABC Music, The Annex – Emily Wurramara, NaraFuture Classic, The Annex – Sycco, ZorbGyrostream – Lithe, Fall BackI Oh You, Mushroom Music – Confidence Man, 3am (La La La)Ourness, The Annex – Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain
Independent Publicity Team of the YearI Oh You, Mushroom Music – Confidence Man, 3am (La La La)Liz Ansley – Emily Wurramara, NaraSuper Duper – Radio Free Alice, PolyesterThinking Loud – Royel Otis, Pratts & PainTwnty Three Pr – The Rions, Happiness In A Place It Shouldn’t Be
Independent Music Video of the YearClaudia Sangiorgi Dalimore – Emily Wurramara, Lordy Lordy Ft. Tasman KeithNick Rae, Jordan Ruyi Blanch – 3%, Won’t Stop Feat. Jessica MauboyPond – Pond, (I’m) Stung!Rosemary Whatmuff – Kasey Chambers, Backbone (The Desert Child)Stephanie Jane Day – Emma Russack, Everything Is Big
Independent Producer of the YearAlice Ivy – Do What Makes You HappyBonnie Knight – Coldwave, The Ants/Italia ’06Dave Hammer – Lime Cordiale, Enough Of The Sweet TalkNick Didia – Ocean Alley, TangerineNina Wilson – Ninajirachi, Girl Edm
Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer of the YearNick Herrera – Miss Kaninna, KaninnaRobert Muinos – Rowena Wise, Senseless Acts Of BeautyRohan Sforcina, Lachlan Carrick – Emma Donovan, Til My Song Is DoneSteven Schram – Crowded House, Gravity StairsTom Iansek – Tom Snowdon, Lonely Tree
While rumors about the upcoming Oasis reunion tour continue to swirl, one of the band’s co-managers has put one to bed: There will be no new music from the Gallagher brothers.
Speaking to Music Week, Alec McKinlay, who heads the band’s Ignition Management and Big Brother Recordings, Oasis’ U.K. label, revealed that there were no plans for Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher to get back in the studio together for a new record. The band released their most recent album, Dig Out Your Soul, in 2008.
“This is very much the last time around, as Noel’s made clear in the press,” McKinlay said in the interview published Tuesday (May 13). “It’s a chance for fans who haven’t seen the band to see them, or at least for some of them to. But no, there’s no plan for any new music.”
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The confirmation arrives after months of rumors, including some teasing by frontman Liam on his social platforms. In September, Liam responded to a fan to say that a new record was “already finished,” and in November he said he was “blown away” by the songs Noel had allegedly written for a new album.
The band’s reunion tour kicks off in the U.K. at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on July 4. The run of dates will continue through Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin before hitting North America, Latin America, Asia and Australia across the 41 planned shows.
Elsewhere in the interview, McKinsley discussed the response to the shows globally. “We’d obviously been planning it for a while and the moment when it went live was a little bit of a step into the unknown in terms of how big the reaction would be,” McKinlay said. “When it all hit home, it was just phenomenal. The reaction was very much one of, ‘Finally, some good news after all the nonsense that’s been going on in the world.’
“Probably the biggest and most pleasing surprise of the reunion announcement is how huge it was internationally,” he added. “Honestly, we knew it would be big here, and that doesn’t take much intuition. But looking outside the U.K., we knew they had a strong fanbase, we did all the stats. We were quite cautious about what that would mean when it came to people actually buying tickets, but we were just bowled over by how huge it was.
“We could have sold out half-a-dozen Rose Bowls in Pasadena and probably eight MetLife Stadiums in New York in a day,” McKinsley shared. “We saw the ticket stats, we were watching what was happening and the demand was way beyond our expectations.”
The clamor for Oasis tickets in the U.K. sparked a debate about on-sale practices. In March, the Competition and Markets Authority said that Ticketmaster may have “misled” fans about ticket prices for the events.
The band has yet to officially confirm who will be performing in the live group alongside Noel and Liam, but the latter has denied reports that “Hello” will be dropped from the setlist due to its connection to convicted pedophile Gary Glitter.
Philly Music Fest is returning this fall with an expanded lineup, growing from seven to nine shows across the city from Oct. 13–19. Now in its ninth year, the nonprofit festival — founded and produced by husband-and-wife team Greg and Jenn Seltzer — spotlights local talent while raising funds for Philadelphia-based music education charities. This year’s headliner is The Wonder Years, the acclaimed American rock band from nearby Lansdale.
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The festival is held exclusively at independently owned venues throughout the city. Greg Seltzer oversees production, booking, curation, and overall operations, while Jenn Seltzer manages merchandise, hospitality, and accounting. Together, the couple estimates the festival generates an annual economic impact of approximately $600,000 for local venues, hotels, and restaurants.
“I want PMF to annually be the best week of music in Philly,” says Greg Seltzer. “PMF is a chance to not only see headliners treat the local audience to unimaginable underplays at small venues, but we annually feature a curated lineup of emerging bands that are poised to break-out.”
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The festival includes a “surprise” headliner for the Oct. 13 and 14 shows at Ardmore Music Hall.
“The surprise headliner is not ideal, but it’s also a luxury,” he says. “As a nonprofit, we can pay national headliners to play smaller than typical rooms, which involves less risk for PMF and the venue, and we can also employ a strategy whereby we announce a show late, sometimes because the band is playing in market, and since we are a nonprofit without the demands of cash flow and profit – we can remain patient and ultimately deliver an incredible experience to our fans.”
The Wonder Years will headline two nights at Underground Arts on Oct. 17 and 18. Setzer noted he’s been trying to book the local heroes for the past five years, “but honestly – the band got too big, as they played two nights at the Fillmore and could easily play much bigger rooms. The timing just worked this year and fortunately, the band and management just really ‘get it’ and recognize the work and mission of PMF.”
Also participating in this year’s festival are Matt Quinn, Greg Mendez, Catie Turner, Deadguy, Nazir Ebo, Black Buttafly and more. Tickets go on sale here at 10 a.m. Eastern on May 16.
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Damiano David is releasing his debut solo album ‘FUNNY little FEARS’ this Friday, May 16th, and the Italian singer shares why he transitioned from a band to going solo, songwriting with his girlfriend Dove Cameron, working with Labrinth on “Silverlines,” going on tour and more!
Are you excited for ‘FUNNY little FEARS?’ Let us know in the comments below!
Rania Aniftos:
Hey everybody, it’s Rania Aniftos with Billboard News, and I’m so excited to be here today with Damiano David, welcome!
Damiano David:
Hello.
What an exciting time for you. I mean, you’re gearing up for your next musical era. You’ve released three singles so far: “Next Summer,” “Born With a Broken Heart” and “Silverlines.” So tell me a bit about how you’re choosing to release these singles to kind of introduce this musical era for you.
For me, it’s literally all about, like, instinct and feelings. These were the first three songs I wrote for the record. And so it’s kind of funny that they are actually the singles, but I didn’t know at the beginning, but I always felt like the songs were strong, and since the beginning, I knew they were going to be part of the record. And again, there’s not much strategy around it. It’s literally like a feeling. I like this. I released it.
I mean, I love that. That’s the way to go, because it keeps it fun for you too, and it keeps it authentic. And speaking of authentic, each of these three singles, while they are different in a lot of ways, they still sound like you, but you’re clearly exploring what was that like, getting in the studio and working out different sounds and kind of introducing Damiano to people.
That was very fun. It was a new practice for me because I was used to kind of knowing the sound that we wanted with the band…
Keep watching for more!
Something fortuitous happened for Role Model during the second North American stop of his No Place Like Tour live run on Feb. 27. Jake Shane happened to be in Dallas at the same time — and with some last-minute coordination, the influencer ended up onstage with the singer for “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.”
“People loved it — like, lost it,” recalls Role Model, chatting while still on the road. “We were like, ‘Why not do this every night? We don’t need a cameo. It will be fun to do a Justin Bieber “One Less Lonely Girl”-type of moment.’ ”
Throughout the tour, Role Model has welcomed one lucky fan onstage to dance around with the artist during the bridge of the sun-kissed pop-rock song. At one of two sold-out shows at Los Angeles’ The Wiltern in April, he welcomed friend Reneé Rapp to play the part.
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Later that month, when the 27-year-old made his late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he scored an appearance from Bowen Yang for the role. The stunt resulted in viral social media moments, with the unintentional strategy helping sustain the song.
“Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” arrived on Feb. 14 as part of the deluxe edition of Role Model’s second album, Kansas Anymore. (As was much of the album, the song was co-written with close collaborator Noah Conrad, alongside Annika Bennett and Harrison Whitford.) The deluxe, titled Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), featured four new tracks — but “Sally” emerged early on as “something we could jump off of,” says Sam Riback, Interscope Geffen A&M co-president and head of pop/rock A&R. “We were like, ‘Here we go.’ ”
By early May, Role Model made his Billboard airplay debut when “Sally” entered at No. 36 on the Alternative Airplay chart. The song also cracked the top 20 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and reached a No. 12 high on Hot Alternative Songs.
Riback first heard of Role Model, born Tucker Pillsbury, in 2018; at the time, Benny Blanco had an imprint with the label called Friends Keep Secrets, and one of its employees tipped Riback off to the then-unknown artist from Cape Elizabeth, Maine making music in his college dorm room. “I heard this demo, which we inevitably put out, of a song called ‘Minimal,’ ” recalls Riback. “It just immediately captivated me,” he says of the stripped-down, hip-hop inspired indie track. Later that year, Role Model signed to Interscope Records. (He signed with Best Friends Music for management in 2020, though parted ways with the firm this April).
Four years after signing, Role Model released his debut album, Rx, in 2022, where he showcased an edgier look and more alternative sound. But Kansas Anymore took a turn towards softer, more Americana-inspired indie-pop and highlighted his sensibilities as a songwriter.
“People who have been listening to me since 2017 have gotten to watch me slowly figure out music,” he says. “When I put out [‘Minimal’], that was really the first song I had made. I didn’t know what I was doing. So I feel like, truly, I did not find my sound until Kansas Anymore. It’s something I’m proud of and it feels like the most genuine thing I’ve made, ever.”
After the album arrived last July, Role Model was eager to stay in the sonic world he had built. While writing the album, he had two “rough ideas that were not fleshed out” but fit into the same universe. So he saved them (they ultimately became “Old Recliners” and “Some Protector”). But as he toyed with the idea of a deluxe, he knew he would need more: “I don’t wanna half-ass it,” he remembers thinking. Weeks after its release, he started writing again, and out came “Longest Goodbye” and “Sally,” the latter of which he calls “a new ending to the chapter…I think that this song felt like a breath of fresh air in that way of, ‘Oh, there’s somewhat of a positive spin here.’ ”
The most fun-loving song to come from the Kansas Anymore chapter, Role Model says “Sally” is “based off some truth,” with the song detailing his re-entry into the dating pool. “Lyrically, it was me being hesitant and doubtful,” he says, “not being sold on someone.”
Role Model
Daniel Prakopcyk
Role Model teased the track in the days leading to its release, and when he kicked off his No Place Like Tour dates in New Zealand/Australia in early February, added it to his set. “The very first time I did it, people were singing the words. It got louder and louder every show,” he says. “It was the bridge specifically, but it felt like a big moment in the set and the song wasn’t out yet. And that’s when I started to be like, ‘Oh, maybe this is bigger than I can imagine.’ ”
“[‘Sally’ is] an entryway for all these people to see what Tucker’s been building so sturdily over the past seven years,” says Riback. “He hasn’t skipped any steps and he has meticulously put together a fan base that I think is so onboard and along for the ride, wherever this goes next.”
In terms of the next onstage Sally, Role Model has his eyes on Kacey Musgraves, teasing that they’re on a few of the same festival lineups this summer, including Iowa’s Hinterland and Aspen’s Up In the Sky, both scheduled for August. “There’s gotta be some strings we can pull,” he says with a laugh. Riback adds: “We are always planting seeds and hoping things bloom into what we would like them to bloom into.”
In between legs of his tour, he’s also been writing a bit: “I finally had some days to lock myself in the studio again,” he says, “which was incredible and inspiring in itself.” But, much like his career, Role Model is not rushing a thing, calling his rise “a very slow incline — with bumps, of course.” He admires the way his tourmate Gracie Abrams, for whom he’s opened, has navigated her own career, saying she is “an amazing example…I feel like she has just skyrocketed and has handled it incredibly.
“It’s always scared me, the idea of a moment and a giant peak in a career, because it’s the hardest thing to keep up with,” he continues. “And I think oftentimes, you see it go away. So I’m trying not to live in it, but at the same time, I’m doing everything in my power to make sure it does stick around.”
This story appears in the May 17, 2025, issue of Billboard.
