One of the more intriguing musical migrations as of late has been the blurring of lines between psych, Americana, and synth. Ya know, that hint of trippy in the twang. That splash of pop songwriting against a Southern backdrop. And between our geographical position and Austin’s ever-expanding melting pot status, we’ve witnessed it unfold firsthand.
For a recent example, look no further than Aaron Miller, the former frontman of ATX synth-pop trio Sphynx who’s currently best known by his solo handle Josie Lockhart. As heard on his 2021 debut Santa Rosa, Josie Lockhart’s a genuine innovator of the Cosmic Americana sound first familiarized ’round these parts by the likes of The Bright Light Social Hour, and the international impressions that followed show that interest isn’t regionally limited. What also arrived in Santa Rosa‘s immediate shadow was a retreat by Miller to Durango, Colorado to draft Josie Lockhart’s sophomore follow-up, What Golden Hues.
While those initial sketches maintained the auteur approach of Santa Rosa, the final version of What Golden Hues that we’ll hear next February is more of a full house; Miller recruited session players from both Austin and Nashville, plus Leon Bridges/Steve Earle engineer Steve Christensen and Wild Child/Modern Medicine producer Carey McGraw to elevate this second installation of Josie Lockhart’s discography. The result is a shimmering, contemporary twist on Miller’s heartland rock roots, as introduced by the LP’s lead single, “Every Kind of Light”.
In other words, by dusting off any tired antiquities of Americana and replacing them with a clean sheen of synth and psychedelia, “Every Kind of Light” locks in Josie Lockhart as the sonic cowboy destined to shake up expectations in 2025.