In the Fall of 2016, demoing his latest album, Wide Awake, Rayland Baxter isolated himself, for three months, in an old rubber factory in rural Kentucky, with little more than a mattress, a guitar, and a Wurlitzer. The fruit of this odd behavior was released last week through ATO Records. It’s a collection of catchy songs, full of pop hooks, and Beatles-esque melodies.

On the new album, Baxter recently told Rolling Stone magazine:

“I like telling stories, and beautifully told stories as well. To captivate another human is a really cool thing to do. I want to be captivating, always, and to be captivated. I’ve just been getting better at it, because I feel like I should be a songwriter and a singer. It’s the thing I’m best at in life at the moment, it’s the thing I’m getting better at the most. It’s an evolution.”

Baxter will play The Hi-Fi in Indianapolis on August 1st.

Rayland Baxter – Strange American Dream

Rayland Baxter – Casanova

Rayland Baxter – 79 Shiny Revolvers