"It's A Wild, Wild World:" Jonah Kagen Distills A Year of Wanderings Into His Debut Album, Sunflower and Leather

Sitting across the table from Jonah Kagen at a random coffeeshop in East Nashville on a balmy September morning, the 25-year-old is coming off of the high of release week for his debut album, Sunflowers and Leather.

"It's been very overwhelming and a bit scary to put those songs out because it's opening yourself up to this mass group of people and then they can do whatever they want with it," the singer-songwriter explains, noting the album's invasive nature.

The path to Sunflowers and Leather wasn't a traditional one in any sense of the word. Born out of intentionally seeking out discomfort, the Georgia native spent a year on the road living out of an Airstream trailer that also doubled as an intimate recording studio.

From his cross-country journey from South Carolina to the picturesque plains of Montana, Kagen sought out both the beautiful and brutal moments of being on the road–the stories and wisdom imparted from fellow travelers, as well as the difficult lessons learned along the way. What results is a 16-song patchwork written, recorded and produced by Kagen, that serves as a true inspection of the human condition and experience.

Bursting with bruising songs like 'Black Lung,' 'Candy Land,' 'The Reaper' and the viral, Sam Barber-assisted 'Burn Me,' Sunflowers and Leather isn't always an easy listen, but it's an important one. One part Zach Bryan's brusque storytelling, another part Noah Kahan's heartfelt delivery, it's altogether Jonah Kagen as he knits together his intricate guitar work, honest lyricism and intimate vocals in stunning fashion, carrying with him so many formative moments from his year of wandering.

"Sunflowers and Leather was very much a byproduct of that year of my life. I didn't necessarily have the intention of writing a certain way or producing a certain way,” Kagan shares. “Those are just a few of the many, many stories that I accrued on the road. I picked up a lot of other people's stories, as well, that didn't make it on the album, but that I want to tell very much."

With a smile, he adds: “That trip is long from over as far as creative expression and what it meant to me.”

Additionally, Jonah Kagen talks about his friendship with Sam Barber, his viral song 'Burn Me,' his creative process and more.

"I was a fan of Sam's when he was first posting videos. I thought he was so good and that was before he really had any music out.

Like six months after my song 'God Needs The Devil' came out, he sent me a message on Instagram and was just like, 'This is so great. I really like this.' I had just started producing for other people and writing for other people, and I knew that I would love to work with Sam.

I saw that he was playing Under the Big Sky in Montana, which is also where he lives, so I bought a ticket and told him, 'This is so crazy, dude. I'm gonna be there!' I flew there, met him and made sure he knew that I produced the song and stuff. We just hit it off and then a couple months later, I went back out to Montana to work with him. We wrote a bunch of music and got along super well. I've written a bunch of the stuff that's come out on his project and wrote and produced a bunch of stuff that's coming out on his upcoming album.

It's really special because he's just my friend now. That kid is famous, he's so freaking big and so many people show up. Now, by proxy, people know who I am because I'm the guy leeching off of Sam Barber as his opener!"

"I haven't really worked with other people when it comes to making music for me because I like to bare my soul a little bit and I have trouble when there are other people in the room.

I was in Montana writing with Sam for Sam. We were out in the middle of nowhere in a cabin and I had been writing something and just noodling. I accidentally said some stuff that I had been working on–I'd been pretty cagey about my own stuff–but he was like, 'What the hell is that? Would you mind if we worked on that?'

To my pleasant surprise, it was really easy and it felt comfy with him. I told him the story and everything that the song was about. He loved the song so much and asked if he could be on it."

"I haven't really told other people's stories yet, to be honest, so I think time will tell. When I'm talking to people, it's way easier to not talk about myself so I imagine it's the same when it comes to songwriting. I think in that respect, it's probably easier to write other people's stories.

That being said, I love writing and producing for other people because I love trying to get it out of them."

"It's really hard to create a unique sound. If you attempt it, it's trusting your influences until they become somewhat unrecognizable.

Some of my earliest influences that I don't think you would really hear anymore because they're buried so deep are people like Andy McKee, who is a finger-style guitar player. He makes instrumental music and he's everywhere in how I play. Now it's just become how I play and he's tucked under a bunch of layers of stuff I've learned.

I listened to a lot of hair bands growing up and everything that was in my sister's iPod, which is all still buried. I was also really into dance music when I was in middle and high school–like big room house music, like Avicii, and big, anthemic things. Believe it or not, those melodies are all over my melodies. That stuff is what lays dormant under all the current influences, but that's how I learned how to produce, too.

Now, what I'm really drawn to is people who I just believe when they speak. Drew Holcomb, Adrianne Lenker, Jason Isbell–people that, for whatever reason, I trust when I listen to them. That's what I want to put into my music, and that's why I think I needed to do this album the way that I did.

It was a byproduct of how I was living. It wasn't me trying to create a new sound or be like someone, I was just trying to mean what I say and whatever happens, happens."

"My stuff sits in a middle ground in a lot of ways, and I really like that. I've gotten to open for Sam Barber and Wyatt Flores, and I've met and worked with a lot of people in that world. My music isn't necessarily in there, but it seems like that audience is taking to my music, as well, which is really cool. I've been so grateful for that.

For me, the spirit of Americana is just artists who mean what they say. It's really less sonic than it is earnest. That's what I'm drawn to as a songwriter and a music listener. I'm really drawn to people who I believe what they're saying.

At the end of the day, I'm just honored that people are listening to my stuff at all, let alone listening to the words and wanting to hear what I have to say. That means everything."

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Jonah Kagen's sprawling Sunflowers & Leather Tour will kick off on January 20 with dates to follow through March 28. For full routing and ticket information, see below: