“I’d never done a stripped-down album like this before,” says Austin, Texas-based Americana artist JM Stevens. “It felt like a bold move and a challenge to myself to go in that direction, as there’s nothing to hide behind.”
Stevens is referring to his third solo effort, Wish on a River Bridge, which arrived March 7, 2025. Following 15-plus years fronting the Austin rock quartet Moonlight Towers and two solo albums featuring full-band arrangements, he pivoted to his acoustic guitars and harmonicas for River Bridge. Throughout its 10 songs, Stevens gives voice to protagonists who are navigating old beginnings, new starts and myriad in-betweens, and sonically, there’s an atmosphere akin to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and Tom Petty’s Wildflowers. Stevens, who tracked Wish on a River Bridge at his East Austin Recording facility, was meticulous when it came to the album’s final mix, using quarter-inch tape for a more vintage sound.
It’s the same level of detail Stevens puts into all aspects of his music, and his catalog has prompted praise from the University of Texas radio station KUTX, which calls him “one of the most reputable singer-songwriters in the Austin music scene today.” National print outlets and respected music websites have taken notice as well, with Goldmine magazine dubbing Stevens a “master craftsman” whose songs “sound as if they’ve been lingering in the ethos forever.” With Wish on a River Bridge, JM Stevens has crafted a body of work showcasing what he’s all about as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer.
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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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