Will JonesWhen I first heard MYND READER, it took me back to Paul Rodgers and Bad Company, that pure, unfiltered rock energy. I wanted big guitars, dry vocals, and drums with that worn, retro soul.” ~ Seven-time GRAMMY® Award–winning Mixer Michael Brauer
MYND READER’s self-titled debut, released January 30, 2026, is more than an album; it’s a statement. Years of growth and experimentation fuel songs that cut through the filtered, detached noise of today’s culture and prove that rock and roll can still heal, connect, and ignite.
The emotional centerpiece is the lead single, “Home,” a soaring, wide-open anthem about belonging, love, and the pull of what feels like home. “It is about the place you belong, whether it is a person, a town, or a song,” Shelby Kemp explains. “For us, it is rock and roll. It is home.”
Several singles from the album have steadily climbed the Mediabase charts across formats, including “Radio Warning,” “Simply Avanti,” and more recently, “Mourning Light.” In the past six months alone, the band has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams across platforms. Tracks such as “Oslo,” “Leaving Our Lives,” and the cinematic “Birdsong” and itsvideo,” which was shot in Mexico’s surreal dunes by director VINSINT, have established the band’s wide-ranging sonic identity. The music evokes the urgency of The Black Crowes, the atmospheric sweep of My Morning Jacket, the toughness of Chris Stapleton, and the lyrical depth of Wilco and Ray LaMontagne, while remaining fully distinct.
Mixed by seven-time Grammy Award-winning engineer Michael Brauer, whose credits include the Rolling Stones, My Morning Jacket, Coldplay, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Ray LaMontagne, “Home” captures the band’s sonic and emotional DNA. Brauer’s analog warmth and fearless approach highlight the record’s quiet intimacy and explosive energy alike. By November 2025, the track had already received spins on more than 20 iHeart stations nationwide via Ted Stryker’s nationally syndicated Out Of Order on ALT 98.7 Los Angeles.
The band features cofounder, drummer and lyricist Brian Sachs, vocalist and guitarist Shelby Kemp, and multi-instrumentalist Tonin. Each member brings a distinct energy to the project: Kemp’s raspy Southern-infused vocals carry weight and nuance, Tonin shapes immersive instrumental landscapes, and Sachs injects lyrical introspection with a sense of immediacy. MYND READER’s sound blends soulful rock, Americana, and classic rock influences into something entirely their own, balancing emotional intimacy with wide-reaching energy.
Brian Sachs’ history with New York’s 1990s jam-rock scene provides additional context for the band’s sound and sensibility. As a drummer for The Authority, a Bill Graham-managed outfit, he performed in packed Lower Manhattan venues alongside Phish, Blues Traveler, and the Dave Matthews Band. “If The Authority was fueled by youthful chaos and raw adrenaline, MYND READER is the grown-up version of that fire,” Sachs says. “Back then I was chasing success. Today I am searching for truth. This album is the bridge between the guy I used to be in my twenties and the man I have become.” Those early years of high-energy performance inform MYND READER’s live intensity and collaborative chemistry.
The creative spark for the album ignited when Sachs and Tonin reconnected in Boulder. Sachs carried notebooks filled with raw, introspective lyrics written during a period of grief, loss, and personal transformation. Tonin translated those words into immersive musical blueprints. The final piece came when Shelby Kemp joined the project. His voice gave the songs life and immediacy, turning skeletal tracks into living music. “Tonin gives me the sonic skeleton, and I breathe life into it. Shelby gives the songs a soul,” Sachs explains.
The resulting ten-track concept album traces a journey from collapse to clarity, exploring survival, renewal, and the restorative power of music. With smoky vocals, sweeping guitar layers, and rhythms that hit like a heartbeat, the music unfolds as something at once cinematic and close-to-the-skin.
At the core lies Sachs’ personal story, shaped by the loss of his marriage, the end of his business, the death of his mother, and the departure of his son, culminating in a period of introspection and transformation. “These songs were written in a period when my whole world was unraveling,” he explains. “My goal was for the album to feel like a hand finding yours when the lights go out.”
The band’s full live lineup adds bassist and backing vocalist Zach Jackson and keyboardist Chris Spies, translating the record’s dynamics into a stage-ready experience that is bigger and louder. Each song carries weight, heart, and emotional verity, reminding listeners that rock and roll can still feel spiritual, raw, and transformative.
With their debut now released, MYND READER is more than a band to watch—they are a band to experience. This record is a statement that rock and roll is alive, deeply human, and capable of connecting on a profound emotional level.
Photographer for Cover Art: David Fulton – XPRMNT Consulting
Photographer for band photos: Dog Daze Photo
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