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.
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TBA
FOR FANS OF: Townes Van Zandt, Jason Isbell, Andy McKee
