Songwriter Series: Teddy Owen + JM Stevens

This night at Boonton Coffee Co. features two Americana songwriters, Teddy Owen and JM Stevens.  

Teddy Owen is a local to Boonton, NJ and has been preparing songs for his debut album for quite sometime now. Workshopping them at open mics and occasional gigs, Teddy's style hovers accross the line of rockabilly, which is further on display with the addition of drummer/producer Matt Pelosi and bassist Henry Heissenbuttel.  The trio will be playing the night and showcasing Teddy's debut album.

JM Stevens: 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.

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.