Evan Bartels comes from a town of 100 people called Tobias. Found on a lone stretch of highway that cuts across the Nebraskan prairie, it’s a place that offers immeasurable freedom, while threatening a life of unanswered wanting. It was here the sentiment behind his work was forged. Storytelling has always been a fixture in his writing, and Bartels continues to evolve his narratives by digging deeper beneath the surface and clinging to an authentic message. He captures a moment and fleshes it out to its barest, rawest form, thereby creating a piece of art that—regardless of genre or setting—moves the listener

Nate Fredrick’s music sounds as familiar as what you might hear on a friend’s back porch, with lyrics that carry a keen level of introspection—they’re also bound to get stuck in your head. After moving to Nashville and writing more than 100 songs, Fredrick released his debut album, Different Shade of Blue, in February 2021. Having amassed nearly 5.5 million cumulative streams with support from major playlists and press, the album was a professional success. However, behind the curtain and amidst this season of growth, Fredrick’s mental health was plummeting and he was struggling with substance abuse. “Someone will only follow you if you know where you’re going,” he says. “I knew that the only way I was going to be able to keep playing music was to get sober, so I went to rehab two times last year. I knew that was the only way I could lead a band or even be a part of a band.” A new chapter with The Wholesome Boys in 2023 finds him in an uncharted-but-welcome territory: it’s the first real band he’s been in. In this new project, Nate Fredrick and The Wholesome Boys (Frank Patrick James, Dylan Miller, and Andrew Foreman), frame an expanding sound. “We are a band that records our own records, writes on the road and grows together.” The result is a cohesive look at what it means to make music that’s inarguably full of life and creative force.