One of the most captivating new songwriters of his generation, Cameron Whitcomb turns the most candid details of his real-life experience into songs with a strangely exhilarating power. Recently named to coveted lists including both Spotify and Amazon Music’s 2025 Artists To Watch and featured globally on the cover of Apple Music’s Today Country, the 21-year-old musician earned major acclaim with last year’s Quitter EP, a boldly autobiographical collection partly inspired by his journey in overcoming addiction with its standout soul-searching title track, and his spellbinding follow-up single, “Medusa” (both hits on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100). As he launches into his most dynamic chapter to date, Whitcomb now shares a larger-than-life single called “Hundred Mile High”: a breakneck-paced anthem that brings a frenetic new energy to his wildly colorful yet deeply lived-in storytelling.

Hailing from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, Whitcomb left home at age 17 and got a job working on a pipeline, later spending much of his downtime singing karaoke and posting covers on Reddit. When an American Idol executive took note of his undeniable vocal talent, he landed a spot on the show’s 20th season and emerged as a top 20 finalist, then immersed himself in learning to write songs while deep in the process of getting sober. After making his label debut with “Rocking Chair” (a spring 2024 release that amassed over 40 million combined views across socials prior to its premiere), Whitcomb took off on a fast ascent that soon found him embarking on his first-ever headline run, the sold-out Quitter Tour. Along with gearing up for the Hundred Mile High Tour—his biggest headline run to date, including stops at iconic venues like New York City’s Bowery Ballroom—he’s now at work on more new music spotlighting the raw emotional honesty of his one-of-a-kind songwriting.

Embodying contrast, Savannah, GA native Jonah Kagen blends raw, intricate guitar work with lyrics that are as personal as they are universally resonant. Inspired by songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Jason Isbell, and fingerstyle virtuoso Andy McKee, Kagen channels his introspection into powerful anthems made for the world’s biggest stages. His journey to his debut album Sunflowers and Leather began with a bit of heartbreak and a literal crash. After walking away from a stalled relationship, he bought a truck and an Airstream to chase something real. Just miles into the trip, he got into a car wreck. But instead of quitting, he doubled down, rebuilt, and transformed that Airstream into a mobile studio that carried him across the American West where he wrote, self-produced and recorded his most ambitious work to date.

At just 25, Kagen has already built a remarkable following: over 450 million global streams, 3.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, 800K+ followers across social platforms, and nearly 1 million Shazam tags. Much of it anchored by his breakout hit “God Needs the Devil,” a #1 at Alternative Radio and one of Spotify’s Best Pop Songs of 2024. That song, and much of his recent Black Dress EP, laid the emotional groundwork for Sunflowers and Leather, a 16-track album that explores everything from self-doubt and heartbreak to spiritual questions and the fleeting nature of life itself.

Whether collaborating with Sam Barber on “Burn Me” or penning soon-to-be fan favorite “You Again,” an aching track about the long shadow of a past relationship, Kagen writes with the clarity of someone who’s lived it, stripped everything down, and started over. That spirit extends to the road, where he’s played Austin City Limits, Summerfest, AmericanaFest, and more, with festival stops this summer including Under The Big Sky, Calgary Stampede, Bourbon & Beyond, and has been asked to open for the likes of Vance Joy, Wyatt Flores, Cameron Whitcomb, and Chance Peña.

With sincerity, ambition, and a mobile studio full of stories, Jonah Kagen has quickly become one of the most compelling new voices in music. His debut album Sunflowers and Leather arrives September 5th via Arista Records.