Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan was experiencing the worst bout of imposter syndrome of his career when he sat down and wrote Todd Snider a vulnerable email asking for advice. Tasjan, despite writing and recording some of the most astute Americana rock songs of the last decade and being nominated for a Grammy, just didn’t see a future for an independent singer, songwriter, and guitarist like himself.

Snider read Tasjan’s email and immediately replied: “I think I have some ideas. I’ll write you back tomorrow.”

The next morning, Tasjan awoke to a signature Todd Snider missive for how to move forward as an artist. It was a novel-length email that read like the battle plans for the Invasion of Normandy. Do this, Snider wrote. Then this. But never that. The specifics don’t matter — besides, that’d be giving away the secret — but Tasjan devoured his mentor’s words and took them to heart.

He began writing feverishly, unbothered by expectations and immune to any pressure to match his acclaimed albums like In the Blazes, Karma for Cheap, or his most recent, 2024’s Stellar Evolution. When he was through, Tasjan had Get Over It, Underdog, his most inspiring LP to date. Produced by Tasjan and his longtime sound engineer Mark Miller, the album is a celebration of the power of songwriting, the unbreakable bond of friendship, and the determination of the dark horse.

“I went to the ultimate oasis for a singer, songwriter, and troubadour: Todd Snider. And he said, in very Todd fashion, ‘You can find your path forward by going backwards,’” Tasjan says with a laugh. “But he was right. I set aside my ego, played shows solo without my band, and wrote a lot of songs. In that process, I found my confidence again.”

Tragically, however, he lost his mentor. Snider died shortly after Get Over It, Underdog, was finished, leaving a void in the folk-rock scene that will prove nearly impossible to fill. But Tasjan is committed to carrying on Snider’s unbridled spirit and lifting up underdogs everywhere.

Over 11 tracks, Tasjan’s new album kills sacred cows and pokes holes in the dam, while leaning hard into the idea of perseverance. In the talking-blues of “Science Friction,” he tells an abridged origin story of civilization that culminates with humankind editing itself out of its own picture. “Man made machines/putting man out of business,” he sings with a knowing wink. “Lost & Alone,” meanwhile, finds him feeling like a “stranger in this town.” It’s a compact blast of indie-rock with a sing-along chorus that underscores Tasjan’s gift for writing infectious hooks.

Madeleine Kelson is a Nashville based Americana artist. She pulls from a rich tradition of Folk, Country, and Americana, challenging its boundaries as a queer artist to represent the modern world. Madeleine spent her high school years in Chicago band, The Kelson Twins, playing venues including House of Blues and Thalia Hall, and landing a top Daytrotter Session with Paste Magazine. She later moved to Music City to pursue a solo career. Inspired by artists like Patty Griffin, Jason Isbell, andBrandi Carlile, her dynamic and down-to-earth storytelling and rich vocals are part of why NPR named her one 10 Nashville artists on the rise.

Once in Nashville, Madeleine won the 2017 International Bluegrass MusicAssociation’s (IBMA) Songwriter Showcase, and in 2018 released her acclaimed solo debut Siren, an introspective five-song EP with clean, melodic vocals backed by elegant countermelodies on violin. Praised by press for its genre-defying, sparse style and emotional richness, Siren earned Kelson comparisons to both Amos Lee and Gillian Welch.

In 2022, Madeleine released her debut, self-produced album, While I Was Away, on Olivia Records. Since its release she has gained praise from No Depression, been featured multiple times in NPR, and was a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk songwriting competition. Her queer country anthem, The Way I Do, became a viral TikTok hit with over 1.7 million views. …