Lexington Field

Americana fiddle rockers Lexington Field specialize in punked up versions of classic traditional Celtic tunes like “The Wild Rover,” “The Old Black Rum,” “Pretty Irish Girl,” and “Molly Malone,” as well as original songs such as “My Dream” and “City That We Love.” Co-founder Beau Gray (rhythm guitar and lead vocals) cites fellow locals Flogging Molly as inspirations, as well as Dropkick Murphys, Great Big Sea, Young Dubliners, and The Pogues. Among their local collaborators are Jeff Berkley (of Berkley Hart), Steve Poltz (The Rugburns), Veronica May (The Lovebords), and banjo-picker Dennis Caplinger. Although little new material has appeared in recent years, according to the band, “The Lumberjack has arrived. In 2021, Beau, along with illustrator Morgan Wagner, decided to turn our song ‘The Lumberjack,’ from our 2018 full-length Dreamers, into a children’s book. To go along with the book, over the summer we headed back into Clarity Recordings with Sean Tolley to rerecord the song and do a new acoustic version. We wanted to give something fresh to go with the book. While the 24-page book is set to be released next month, the songs are here now.” Anna Lee Fleming of local folk band Finnegan Blue provided harmonies on both versions of the song.

JT Moring

The new solo project from JT Moring, of folk-Americana-blues band Gemini Junction, will feature songs he describes as “Woody Guthrie meets Warren Zevon. Remember last year when I wouldn’t stop talking about that album I made? We’ve rescheduled the album release backyard concert party on February 27, 1pm, in Encinitas. Ramona Ault and I and Barry Brown will put on a show and we’ll have us a time. Covid will have waned; we’ll share some food and catch up with each other. I’ve still got almost half a case of CDs. You can get one from me or behind the counter at Folk Arts Rare Records.” See Moring’s Facebook page for event locale and details. “The next part is some of the most fun, where I get to add all the bells and whistles — and bouzouki and banjolin? — to make the arrangements sparkle.” Instruments used so far include “lots of acoustic strings, but also the pennywhistle and harmonicas, plus an electric keyboard that has nice organ sounds. I really enjoy playing bass, which I only get to do in the studio.”

Switchfoot

A new video produced for “beloved,” from Switchfoot’s recent 12th studio album interrobang, was directed by frequent collaborator Erick Frost. According to frontman Jon Foreman, “I wanted to set the tone for the album with this song: addressing the listener as you and seeing myself in the face staring back at me. Could it be that maybe we need each other? Maybe we need our differences? ‘beloved’ is a song that attempts to see ‘you’ as you are, rather than as an ‘it’ that can be commoditized or used. Love is only possible in this exchange. In this surrender, this humility, this intentionality.” The track was co-written by Tim and Jon Foreman and the album’s producer Tony Berg. Other videos from the new album include “if I were you”, “i need you (to be wrong)”, “lost ‘cause”, “fluorescent,” and “the bones of us.” Last November, the band teamed up with NEEDTOBREATHE and Judah for a new track called “Hometown Christmas” released exclusively through Amazon Music. They performed the song as part of The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, which aired that month via ABC.

Mike Pinto

“My shows have a big energy, with the organ and horns blaring at all times,” says Mike Pinto, who grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia. His music blends reggae, ska, dub, and Latin rhythms, while keeping true to his roots with the acoustic guitar. Based in Ocean Beach, Pinto has played in over thirty states, including live acoustic performances for various college and reggae on-air radio stations. His album Hotel Rendezvous debuted at number four on iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts, and was nominated Best World Music Album at the 2018 San Diego Music Awards. Guest players include members of Orgone, The Aggrolites, The Expanders, and Through the Roots. A new single dropped last November, “Danny Loves A Fight,” produced by Pete Steinkopf from The Bouncing Souls. “I’m on tour again, risking life and limb just to be with you and play my sometimes-catchy, quite nostalgic, one-of-a-damn-kind songs,” says Pinto of his “Everything I Got” Tour, which just kicked off. The trip includes dates in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, wrapping up March 20 in Virginia. “We’ll be offering meet and greets on the bus for some of these dates. Still deciding, but definitely for Texas and the Southwest.”

Blink 182

Florida metalcore pop-punk band A Day To Remember recruited Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus to sing on a new version of the song “Re-Entry,” from their 2021 studio album You’re Welcome, which they just released as a single. “When this song originally took shape, it was without a doubt massively influenced by Blink-182,” says A Day To Remember frontman Jeremy McKinnon. “So when the idea came up to do a remix of sorts for it, Mark was immediately who we pictured. We sent him the track with no second verse and said to do whatever he was inspired to do, and what he sent back genuinely makes the song for me. My younger self still can’t believe it exists.” Hoppus also guests on the recent debut album from Arrested Youth (a project led by Ian Johnson), Nonfiction, appearing on the single “Find My Own Way.” Blink 182, whose most recent single is called “Quarantine,” are reportedly working on a new full-length.