Stephen Kellogg Reimagines Americana With Cross Country Themed Album

For his first independent release in more than a decade, acclaimed singer-songwriter, Stephen Kellogg, celebrates his freedom with the expansive four-part album, South, West, North, East.

Already known for an eclectic Americana aesthetic that embraces folk, rock, pop, and articulate and emotive singer-songwriter lyricism, the iconic underground artist takes his artistic wanderlust further through traveling to the four corners of the nation to explore the modern indigenous sound of each region. The result of the undertaking is a 20-song body of work that encompasses Southern rock, indie rock, singer-songwriter, and vibey cowboy Americana with assured artistry. 

"You often hear about the importance of  'picking a lane,'" Stephen says. "And while I completely understand the marketing savvy and focus of that concept, I picked my lane a long time ago-it's called the 'words that describe what I believe to be true' lane."

In every way, South, West, North, East is all over the map. Each section of the album was recorded in a different region of the USA with different co-producers and musicians, and each of the four album parts reverently reflect their recording locale.

The end result is a collection of 20 songs that defy categorization. The Southern rock flavor of South (recorded in Nashville and Atlanta) slides into the cowboy motif of West (recorded on a farm in Boulder, CO); and the more indie rock feel of North (recorded in a cabin in Woodstock, NY) gives way to the songwriter pop of East (recorded in Washington DC). "I've never felt that the genre was as important as the message, and making the record this way was a chance to really explore that idea," Stephen says. 

Stephen is a beloved indie artist with an engaged fanbase and heaps of critical acclaim.  No Depression gushes Stephen is, "the best songwriter you're not listening to." CBS Radio has called Stephen, "the best live act you've never seen." Despite these under-the-radar themed accolades, Stephen's music has been enjoyed by thousands, whether as the backdrop of numerous films and TV shows such as One Tree Hill, Men of a Certain Age, Mercy, among others, or in front of packed audiences sharing the stages with household names such as Train, Sugarland, OAR, and Josh Ritter, to name a few.

Over the last decade, the Southern Connecticut-based artist has performed more than 1500 concerts in more than a dozen countries, both solo and with a band. Recently, while on a tour of Europe, SK (as fans often refer to him) made a detour to play the Middle East, Africa and an aircraft carrier for the Armed Forces. In 2013, he gave a TEDx Talk about job satisfaction. SK will be sharing South, West, North, East live nationally when he hits the road this November.

Stephen Kellogg will be at Mississippi Studios on Feb. 5