It’s September already, and with it the first signs of Autumn’s “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, inviting us to bid a fond farewell to another year of outdoor festivals culminating in last weekend’s ‘Long Road’ at Stanford Hall in Leicestershire. Did you know that the word September comes from the Latin septem, which means seven, as it was originally the seventh month of the year in the oldest known Roman calendar, with March being the first month of the year? I’m not sure whether that would have made the summers longer or shorter, though; with the closing in of the evenings, I find myself already longing for spring. However, what better way to disperse the negative thoughts of the pending darkness than to brighten up your day with the next selection of music that makes up September’s EPs Round-Up article and discover which one is the winner of the coveted EP of the Month award.
To kick things off this month, we begin with acclaimed Texas singer/songwriter Jack Barksdale and his new five-track EP entitled Battleground. A native of Fort Worth, Barksdale has been writing and performing original songs since the age of nine, drawing his inspiration from the rich traditions of folk, americana, country, rock and blues. In 2025, he released the album Voices through the Truly Handmade Records label and featured the Grammy Award-winning artist Sarah Jarosz, earning widespread support across the Americana community. This new release finds Barksdale confronting the philosophical, social, economic and political fault lines shaping the world today, leaning into them with an honesty, conviction and maturity that results in a bold and uncompromising set of songs. Opening with the title track that has the bonus of featuring acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter and AUK favourite Julian Taylor adding his powerful vocals, this is one of the songs of 2026 so far. The two voices work effortlessly together to create an evocative tale that is both timeless and of its time. Elsewhere, God is Good shows the fearlessness of Barksdale’s poetry, unwavering in its directness, but always scented with a subtle hint of sardonicism, a point no better emphasised than on The Scam Song, a catchy, quirky and topical anthem that delivers a message so urgently relevant today. The thought-provoking Don’t Have Children, Adopt, proves that no topic is off the table, while the closing song Ticket Home (for Phil Ochs) is probably the best indication of the musical direction Barksdale is currently travelling. One thing is for sure: with Battleground, Barksdale has delivered five songs that we would all benefit from discovering, and this EP comes highly recommended.
Next up, we have the Kansas City-based band The Creepy Jingles and their new six-track EP, Against All Opps. The band are led by singer-songwriter Jocelyn Olivia Nixon, a transgender wordsmith, and though their sophomore album Washed Up saw the light of day just a few months ago, this new EP finds Nixon joined by a refreshed band line-up helping to add new sonic elements to their colourful musical palette. The overall sound revolves around jangly, high-energy power pop, with catchy melodies and witty lyricism that showcases Nixon’s prowess at combining infectious tunes with clever hook lines. With five of the tracks here clocking in at under three minutes, it’s clear the band is intent on a hit-and-run approach, mixing shades of Indie-pop with N.Y. garage rock, as on the opening track You Don’t Trend, where its punchy, no-nonsense delivery is both playful and irresistible in equal measure. The remaining songs continue in a similar vein, with Sky High and I Don’t Need a Thing From You emphasising a sense of immediacy, while Throw Me Some Rice dares to slow the pace ever so slightly without losing any of the intensity. Funhouse Mirror is the outlier here, with a running time close to double that of the other tracks, and yet despite the relevant length, nothing is diluted; in fact, in allowing the band to stretch out, one can appreciate the layers of musicality that exist beneath the surface, suggesting that they are far from a one-trick pony, all helping to make Against All Opps a highly enjoyable listen.
Following on, we have a folk trio born in Edinburgh but now based in the Southeast of London who go by the name of Ross and the Hailstones. The trio are made up of Ross Robertson along with sisters Jessica and Carolie Hailstone, hence the name, and have just released their new six-track EP entitled All Hail, The Land. This latest offering follows on from the debut album From the Loft that first saw the light of day back in the autumn of 2024, to much excitement amidst the folk music community. The quality of material here clearly shows that the interim time has been well spent, drawing on the rich tapestry of the London folk scene, whilst writing songs that reflect folklore and nature within our ever-changing world. With a clear and solid grounding in traditional music, the trio are keen to focus the narratives here on the pressing issues of the present, weaving their three-part harmonies alongside guitar, cello and fiddle to create a distinctive sound that blends folk with americana and alternative influences. Opening with the atmospheric Maree, the trio excels with their storytelling and interweaving vocals, while the urgency of the following number, Hammers & Nails, marks it out as another highlight. The harmonies are again to the fore on the wonderful Wassailing, while Honeysuckle finds the trio leaning slightly more towards a bluegrass vibe, before the instrumental Anaemic Triptych allows them to show their instrumental prowess. With All Hail, The Land, Ross and The Hailstones have delivered a collection of songs that celebrate the beauty of the natural world whilst urgently questioning our place as its custodians and, in doing so, are helping take folk music forward, keeping it relevant in today’s world, which should see them become one of the genre’s rising stars.
Next up we have the new five-track EP from Manchester-based American singer-songwriter Run Remedy entitled Not At The Table. Recorded over two weeks with longtime collaborators Sean Rogan and Rhys Jiang, and written during a period when Run Remedy was deciding to make Manchester a permanent home, the music here circles around the idea of ‘home’ as something unstable. For someone who had never lived anywhere for more than a couple of years, a permanent base wasn’t just about a physical space; it was also about social and emotional identity, full of promise and expectation. Musically, this new release finds Run Remedy exploring genre-bending territory like never before, drawing on influences ranging from Elliott Smith to The Smiths and Adrianne Lenker, balancing post-rock with delicate folk intimacy and edgy art pop, all tied together with precise, confessional lyricism. Opening with the slow-burning intensity of Big Nothing, a song full of post-rock textures, with a lyrical unease that spirals into a sonically chaotic crescendo. The deceptive playfulness of Dinner Rolls flaunts its folk leaning through the instrumentation, while the narrative begins as a plea that gradually transforms into quiet defiance. There’s more of a stripped-back arrangement to Dissent that allows the fractured conversation’s lyrical approach to sit front and centre, before Friends With Cars offers up a dreamy, off-kilter pop soundscape. The closing number, Turf War 2, was originally released as a single back in 2024, but here it is delivered with a change of pace and a new sense of fragility as it addresses Run Remedy’s internal struggle with patriotism and displacement. With Not At The Table, Run Remedy has created a personal musical landscape that is at the same time both raw and immediate, which should ensure that her star remains firmly in the ascendancy.
Hustle is the new six-track EP from Indiana roots-rock singer-songwriter Joel David Weir. This collection of gritty, high-octane songs was recorded between Nashville’s Carport Livin’ Studio and St. Squirrel Studio in Indiana, and came together rather unexpectedly during the lead-up to the recording of Weir’s upcoming full-length album. The EP opens with the lead single Nobody Town, written in a tuning that immediately brings to mind Keith Richards, and shouts instant classic roots rock from start to finish, highlighted by some delightful electric guitar from David Newbould. The pace comes down a notch for the acoustic narrative lead, Back in Time, which again features Newbould, this time on slide guitar, along with some beautiful backing vocals from Georgia Evans. Elsewhere, the cover of Prince’s Little Red Corvette comes across as something of a curio, whereas the reflective Border Patrol, replete with cello from Matt Jarrard, is a much more successful offering that leads nicely into ISO Blues, with its heavy drone helping to maintain an eerie atmospheric quality throughout. With Hustle, Joel David Weir has delivered another excellent EP of roots-rock music that cements his position amongst the current crop of americana singer-songwriters.
Next up we have something a little bit special from Joe Kenny and his new five-track EP entitled Time Will Tell. Originally from Dromintree, Co. Armagh, but now based in Belfast, blind singer-songwriter Kenny is known to many for his distinctive guitar playing technique – playing with his fretting hand over the neck of the guitar rather than underneath. This new release is the follow-up to his much-acclaimed debut EP, Perfect Fool, that came out in 2021, and finds Kenny building on the emotional clarity and lyrical honesty that have become a staple of his songwriting. Nowhere is that better demonstrated than on the title track that opens this EP, a song written in reaction to the recent civil unrest in Northern Ireland, directed at migrant communities, with Kenny recognising how easily roles could be reversed and those protesting could so easily be the ones travelling the world seeking asylum. It is a song that, both musically and narratively, captures the current climate we live in, and should be a must-hear for everyone. Elsewhere, Don’t Close Me Out and Sing Out Your Sorrow display a richer and more expansive soundscape, with David Molloy responsible for production as well as guitar and backing vocals. The soulful vibe from Stealing Time is another highlight, emphasising Kenny’s evolving sound that blends Irish folk with both roots and contemporary music influences that has seen comparisons from John Martyn to Snow Patrol, and to these ears, Blue Rose Code, inhabiting a similar Celtic-soul territory. Regardless of comparisons or musical genres, with Time Will Tell, Joe Kenny has released an EP that should propel him towards the forefront of the current singer-songwriter scene.
Brother and The Hayes is a Texas-born, Tennessee-based sibling duo that has a new six-track EP entitled Phantoms of Reality. The duo are made up of Jennie Hayes Kurtz and David Bingaman, and together, they create a sound that walks the line between country, folk and americana, with a blend of rich harmonies and driving grooves complementing their heartfelt songwriting. Collectively, they have well over a decade of songwriting, producing and recording experience in Nashville, including two albums, the most recent being the highly regarded In Good Company that came out last year, receiving a much-deserved 8/10 from AUK. This new offering finds the duo mining the rich country music seam of some of their heroes, with such icons as Roy Orbison, Charlie Pride, and Willie Nelson receiving a timely nod. The EP opens with the instrumental and atmospheric title track, where the vibrating twang of the electric guitar conjures up images of the spaghetti western films of the 1960s. The ghostly and cinematic theme is continued through the narrative of the following number, Amarillo, with Hayes Kurtz’s vocals excelling alongside some delightful bluegrass fiddle accompaniment. Bingaman takes lead vocals on both the country-influenced Rolling out of Richmond, where the guitar playing again is a delight, and the more reflective refrain of Strangers. The last two tracks, Cry and Abel, both feature Hays Kurtz on lead vocals; the latter, a co-write with violinist Cole Ritter, is a particular standout, featuring delightful pedal steel from Andrew Thomas. The conscious decision to bring the road band into the studio for the first time has had a positive effect here, helping to lift the signature plainspoken, emotionally resonant songwriting of Hayes Kurtz and Bingaham by infusing a flavour of the 1960s Nashville sound, along with the Southwestern musical traditions of Texas, thus creating greater depth and resonance to each of the compositions. With Phantoms of Reality, Brother and The Hayes have delivered a collection of songs that builds on their past achievements, resulting in a very enjoyable EP.
Let Love Be Enough is the new five-track EP from the Denver-based folk rock band Heavy Diamond Ring, and it is an absolute delight. Recorded at the Library in Minneapolis and produced by Dan Rodriguez, this new EP follows the release of their third album, Wildflower Lane that came out in the summer of last year, and finds the band continuing to showcase their signature sound of soulful vocals, rich harmonies, rootsy guitar and open-hearted folk-rock. Founded by Sarah Anderson and guitarist/songwriter Paul Dehaven, who first began playing together after the disbanding of indie-folk favourites Paper Bird, the band has expanded to include Blake Stepan on bass, Mike Lang on keyboards, and Orion Tate Ignelzi on drums. The EP opens with the wonderful The One You Use, which features special guest vocalist Gregory Alan Isakov and just demands repeated plays, with an infectious melody and exquisite vocals from Anderson. This quality is maintained throughout, starting with Problems, which begins with some excellent picked acoustic guitar before Anderson’s sweet vocal delivery whisks the listener off to a simpler and more beautiful place. It is the perfect antidote to today’s crazy world. There is some sublime fiddle playing running through Take Whatever You Need that helps emphasise the warmth in the narrative, before the closing two songs, What If I Change followed by Love Don’t Change, that seem to ask and answer the same question, with Anderson’s vocals once again excelling, her phrasing at times reminiscent of Anais Mitchell. With Let Love Be Enough, Heavy Diamond Ring have delivered a truly wonderful EP which, at a different time of year, would be a guaranteed winner of the EP of the Month Award, and comes highly recommended.
So what can be so good that it prevents a sure-fire winner from being awarded September’s EP of the Month? Well, the answer is the new five-track EP from National Public Rodeo entitled Winter 2026. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the band is made up of singer-songwriter/guitarist Jeffrey Alan Jones and pedal steel player Todd Blair, who write and perform their own songs drawing influences from such icons of the americana scene as Jay Farrar, Mike Cooley, Ryan Adams and Jason Isabel. Whether performing as a duo or with a full band, the songs find a relaxed groove, acoustic and organic, while the strong narrative repeatedly delivers cinematic storytelling that explores the themes of consequence, memory, loss and family. The opening track Roost might just be the best song you hear all year, inspired by the poet Kay Ryan’s Home to Roost; the percussive drive of the strummed acoustic guitars against the backdrop of Blair’s pedal steel creates the perfect conduit for a narrative style that draws positive comparison to Cooley. On both The City and the closing track, Evidence, the poetry explores the impact of loss, one of a place, one of a person, supported by the sparse arrangement of just a single acoustic guitar. Pelicans delivers a subtle change in energy and intensity, thanks to a greater use of the rhythm section, and here again doffs its cap in the direction of Cooley on a song that feels like it came straight from one of Drive By Truckers’ classic albums. However, despite the obvious influences here, the songwriting, musicianship and overall performance are top-drawer material that comfortably stands up to comparison with some of the genre’s most respected players. With Winter 2026, National Public Radio have well and truly announced themselves to the global americana community, and is a worthy winner of September’s EP of the Month Award.
