Prelude Press
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Savannah, GA native Jonah Kagen has announced his debut album Sunflowers and Leather, out September 5th via Arista Records, and releases a brand-new single, the emotional reckoning “You Again.” With over 450 million global streams, 3.5 million monthly listeners, a #1 Alternative radio hit with (“God Needs The Devil”), nearly 800k social followers, 1 million+ Shazam tags, and a loyal fanbase drawn to his raw songwriting and intricate guitar work, Jonah Kagen is ready for more.
“You Again” is a frustrated battle cry cursing the nagging ghosts of past love: the ones you can’t stop thinking of and the ones you are constantly trying to run away from. On the song Jonah said “It’s the most honest song I’ve ever written. After a relationship I had ended, I spent a whole year by myself – just me and my dog. Every time I tried to open up to someone new, I felt that same sinking feeling. This song is about not being able to shake someone, even after they’re gone.”
In an exclusive interview with American Songwriter, Jonah revealed that “You Again” is his favorite song ever, as he successfully matched his emotional experience with a sonic one. A powerful preview of his upcoming full-length album, Sunflowers and Leather, “the song highlights Kagen’s focus on lyrics and intimacy in his music,” adds American Songwriter. “Kagen’s self-inflicted isolation and the existential thoughts that it inspired led to a deeply personal record, both lyrically and sonically.”
The entire project was written, recorded, and produced by Jonah himself while traveling across the American South & West in a self-made makeshift studio built into a well-worn Airstream trailer. It took him from his family’s home in South Carolina to Montana with stops in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Texas, and his home base in Nashville… all the while capturing stories, songs, and emotionally processing his recent experiences along the way.
The album title explores the duality of life: “Sunflowers” for its beauty and joy and “Leather” for its pain and grit – both of which, Jonah feels, are an essential part of the human experience. Previously released tracks like “Burn Me” featuring Sam Barber and “The Reaper” dive into themes of mortality, faith, and inner conflict and while other (soon to be released tracks) celebrate love and connection. Combined, each song on the album represents Jonah’s agile guitarwork, lyrical depth, and incredible vocals.
To accompany the album, Jonah joined forces with acclaimed visual creative David O’Donohue (Noah Kahan, Lainey Wilson, James Bay) for a soon to be released 16mm documentary that captures the heart of his Airstream journey and the inspiration behind each song. Watch the trailer for the Sunflowers and Leather documentary now below.
“Burn Me” was was co-written while Sam and Jonah were on the road together on sold-out North American and Australia tours and was released the same week “God Needs The Devil” hit #1 at Alternative radio – a full year after it was released. “Burn Me” tackles the internal struggles of growing up around different faiths with contradicting tenets, in a cultural environment that has plenty of opinions doing so. For Jonah, that meant going to a school that insisted his father would burn eternally for not being of a Christian faith. As the song grows from a single acoustic guitar to a whirlwind of strum, the boys come together to belt out the chorus: “I don’t know if I was made from God’s hands, but I know my father is a good man / I’m realizing now how the earth bleeds, so if you’re gonna burn him you can burn me.”
Jonah shares a little background on “Burn Me”: “I grew up in a religiously mixed family filled with nothing but love. Even still, there was always a weird thing none of us really talked about — that one of my parents’ religions technically condemns the other one to Hell, and the other doesn’t even believe that Hell is a thing. I wrestled with it for a long time, and ultimately came to this conclusion: I have no idea what’s wrong or right, but I do know that my parents are both angels sent from somewhere, and if they’re going down for their beliefs, I’m going down with them!”
To celebrate the album, Jonah is touring extensively throughout 2025. He recently wrapped his co-headline Rideout Tour with Crowe Boys, and will next join a string of major tours, including dates with Wyatt Flores, Vance Joy, Cameron Whitcomb, and Sam Barber. Alongside these runs, Jonah is also appearing at key festivals, including recent performances at Calgary Stampede and Under the Big Sky, with upcoming sets at Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond in September and Salt Lake’s Redwest Country Music Festival in October. Full tour dates available below and at jonahkagen.com.
Previously, Jonah released his Black Dress EP, a six-song body of work that was also self recorded and produced while he was living and touring in the airstream. It featured “God Needs The Devil” and had an unhurried but meteoric rise to the #1 spot as it was placed on Spotify’s Pop Rising playlist’s Best Songs of 2024 and now has over 100 million streams worldwide.
Be on the lookout for more news on Jonah and Sunflowers and Leather soon!
Jonah Kagen 2025 Tour Dates
For tickets and full details, visit www.jonahkagen.com
Jul 25 – Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater – w/ Wyatt Flores
Jul 27 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater – Headline Show
Aug 7 – Boise, ID – Idaho Botanical Garden: Outlaw Field – w/ Sam Barber
Aug 8 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Pavilion – w/ Sam Barber
Aug 9 – Tacoma, WA – Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park – w/ Sam Barber
Aug 11 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre – w/ Sam Barber
Aug 15 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge – w/ Sam Barber
Aug 16 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre – Sold Out
Sep 3 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 4 – Shelburne, VT – The Green at Shelburne Museum – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 5 – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB
Sep 7 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
Sep 9 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple Theatre – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 14 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond Festival
Sep 16 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Yards Amphitheater – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 17 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 18 – North Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 21 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room Greenville
Sep 22 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 24 – Cary, NC – Koka Booth Amphitheatre – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 25 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 26 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Mainstage Theater – w/ Vance Joy
Sep 30 – Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 1 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 3 – San Diego, CA – Music Box – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 4 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 8 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Redwest Country Music Festival
Oct 15 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 17 – Fort Worth, TX – Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall – Sold Out w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 18 – Austin, TX – Scoot Inn – Sold Out w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 21 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 23 – Oxford, MS – The Lyric Oxford – w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 24 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl – Sold Out w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 25 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West – Sold Out w/ Cameron Whitcomb
Oct 27 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West – w/ Cameron Whitcomb