Oklahoma City jamgrass band The Steppers have announced their forthcoming 11-track album The Lights Are Always On on 26th June 2026. The Steppers are described as a “fast-picking, hard-driving psychedelic string trio” comprising Jake Tobey (guitar, vocals), Theran Lantz (mandolin, vocals), and Lawson Popejoy (bass, vocals). Known for blending bluegrass tradition with the freewheeling energy of improvisational rock, funk, and folk, The Steppers are renowned for pushing beyond genre boundaries while sharpening their identity as dedicated pickers within the modern string-band scene.
The Lights Are Always On, their latest album reflects a more intentional approach to songwriting and arrangement. The record “extends outward, balancing tight composition with exploratory jams, establishing The Steppers as serious pickers while continuing to push the boundaries of the modern jamgrass sound.”
After introducing their songwriting on their 2025’s Head Over Hills, The Steppers steadily refined their identity through subsequent releases and touring. “Our past albums sounded mostly like songwriters with a string band twist,” the band explains. “This time we wanted to show the drive and punch we can have, establishing ourselves as real pickers within the scene.”
The band has also put out the project’s lead single, Told You. The song serves as an introduction to The Lights Are Always On, setting the tone for the record’s mix of personal storytelling and driving musicianship, inspired by a late-night argument that left a single phrase lingering long after the conversation ended.
In The Steppers’ own words: “Told You is the most haunting phrase in any relationship. It’s a phrase that has turned even the warmest of days ice-cold. This song tells the story of those late-night arguments when you just can’t seem to get it right. Lines are blurred, memory’s gone. How did it go wrong, and is there a way to make it right?”
