Hailed as “Midwestern rock heroes” by American Songwriter, Red Wanting Blue hasspent the better part of last three decades on the road, blazing their own unique trailthrough the American heartlandas they built up a legion of lifelong fans through arelentless work ethic and raucous, life-affirming live show. Along the way, the bandnotched appearances everywhere from Letterman to NPR, garnered praise from thelikes of Rolling Stone and Esquire, and climbed to #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, all while operating largely outside of the confines of the traditional musici ndustry. Recorded in the band’s native Ohio and produced for the first time bythe quintetitself, RedWantingBlue’s latest album, Light It Up, marksthe start of a distinctly newchapter for the indie rock stalwarts, one built on complete and total creativeliberation. Equally gritty and uplifting, the collection is a larger-than-life ode to hopeand perseverance, a celebration of the fire we carry within and the commitment thatkeeps us goingeven in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The songs are allinterconnected here, woven together through intros and outros and interludes thatpropel them through the dark of night, and the performances are as muscular as theyare meticulous, fueled by addictive hooks and exhilarating instrumental work thatshines on an even footing with frontman Scott Terry’s rich and magnetic vocals. Morethan any other record in the Red Wanting Blue catalog,Light It Upcaptures the spiritand the camaraderie of a band that’s built its entire career on the road, discovering(and rediscovering) itself one exultant, joyous, communal night at a time. Red Wanting Blueis: Scott Terry(Vocals, Tenor Guitar, Ukulele) Mark McCullough(Bass, Chapman Stick, Vocals) Greg Rahm(Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals) Eric Hall(Guitar, Lap Steel, Vocals) Dean Anshutz(Drums & Percussion)

On Dawn in the Distance, Wells’ voice still packs a Kentucky-sized punch, but his solo debut takes a look beyond the Southern stomp of his former band. Call the new sound Americana. Call it blue-collar country. Call it fiery folk. While recording the album, Wells was simply concerned with serving the songs, teaming up with producer Duane Lundy (Sunday Valley, Joe Pug, Vandaveer) and creating Wells’ most affecting album to date. Songs like “Going Down Grinnin’” (which Wells describes as “embracing failure with a smile”) and “Three Quarters Gone” (inspired by the retirement of the singer’s father) are layered with pedal steel guitar, auxiliary percussion, and keys.  On the album’s front cover, a beat-up suitcase sits beside a door. For years, that suitcase carried Fifth on the Floor’s merchandise. Now, it serves a different purpose, connecting Wells’ past with his next destination. He’s still traveling, still writing songs, still spending long evenings behind the wheel. He’s just pointed at a different horizon.