Hailing from Austin, Texas by way of West Point, Mississippi, critically acclaimed Americana and roots-rock/pop singer, songwriter, and producer, JM Stevens returns three years after his well-received solo debut, Invisible Lines. Releasing in April 2024, the 10-song Nowhere to Land is an overall mellower, more vulnerable record than its predecessor, though still speckled with some up-tempo rockers. It’s a thoughtful album further set apart by Stevens’ nuanced songcraft, intimate vocals, and organic production.
DittyTV praised Stevens as, “In that sweet spot of pop-rock represented by guys like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, John Cafferty, Tom Petty, [and] Don Henley,” while The Big Takeover noted how his “Supremely tasteful arrangements keep excess far at bay.”
From contemplative, optimistic opener “Dry Creek” and the more jaunty but no less questioning title track, it’s a record that preserves the raw emotions of Stevens’ songcraft through admirably restrained production. “I wanted to keep it real open,” he said. “And it sometimes sounds bigger that way, because there’s more space to sink into, more room to breathe.”
Pangs of love, loss and loneliness punctuate Nowhere to Land’s bouts of doubt, jealousy, and recurring hope. Songs search for that old spark as lovers grow apart but often, tempered by empathy, resolve into acceptance and letting go. “After the Storm” came to Stevens almost fully formed while out running in the wake of Texas’ infamous 2021 ice storm, while fellow standout “Cherry Sunburst” takes doing whatever it took to acquire a coveted guitar as a metaphor for losing our senses in all manner of other situations.
Catch Stevens on tour in 2024 supporting Nowhere to Land.
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“Excellent second album from Texas songwriter. Simplicity is difficult to master in songwriting. Being able to say something in a conversational manner is a gift few artists do well. Tom Petty was perhaps the greatest at this. John Mellencamp also comes to mind. Add Austin native JM Stevens to that list. His sophomore album, Nowhere to Land, is full of gentle, yet infectious songs that are immediately relatable.” - Icon Fetch
“In short, Nowhere to Land explores the fears, worries and joys that punctuate life circa 2024, and does so in the best way possible: to fully formed melodies that linger long after the music has faded to silence.” - The Old Grey Cat
"Recalls records from the Jayhawks, Drive-By Truckers, and Uncle Tupelo, blending acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars around smooth, upper tenor vocals." - Texas Monthly
“Stevens has a clear bright voice destined for country pop, and it shines on these ten tunes. It’s not everybody who can write with such positivity and make it genuine, but Stevens has a way of crafting his songs in such a way that they don’t patronize.” - The Rocking Magpie
“a peaceful conscientious affair that’ll still prompt you to dance and shake it off. The album is a collection of songs rootsy rock carrying along reflective insightful perspectives on life. Stevens’ style is an amalgam of the blues he was steeped in as a kid growing up in a musical family in Mississippi.” - Americana Highways
“Austin-based singer/songwriter and Producer JM Stevens recently released his second solo album, Nowhere To Land, which sees a big development in vocal nuances and a certain sparse approach to sound in comparison to his previous work.” - Glide Magazine
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