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American actor Clint Eastwood listens to records at his home, October 1, 1959. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images) “Magic Power”
As I did a little mindless Instagram scrolling last night, I came across a video of Rik Emmett and his mostly reunited band, Triumph, as they embark on their “Rock n Roll Machine Reloaded” tour. This band was huge for me in high school, so I stopped scrolling to listen.
Triumph was playing “Magic Power” from their 1981 release “Allied Forces”. As I was enjoying the nostalgia of the music, I was immediately struck by the lyrics of the second verse…
“She climbs into bed She pulls the covers overhead And she turns her little radio on She's had a rotten day So she hopes the DJ's Gonna play her favorite song Makes her feel much better Brings her closer to her dreams A little magic power Makes it better that it seems” What struck me about this lyric was that it reminded me of how I grew up listening to music. I remember listening to the radio and waiting for the DJ to play my favorite songs so I could quickly hit record on the cassette. I have fond memories of listening to entire albums as I looked at the front, back, and inside covers and read the liner notes….all while being immersed in the music, riding the arc of the sequence of songs, and going wherever the music took me. The only distraction was having to flip the album after the first side was complete. It also made me think about buying albums…so many albums. Sometimes they were albums my friends had, or from bands I saw in magazines, or from bands that I never even heard of before, but because the album cover was so cool, I had to buy the record. There was the excitement of getting home and opening the record, and enjoying the tactile sensation of peeling off the plastic, pulling out the liner notes, and smelling the fresh vinyl. I loved dropping the needle and hearing the initial warm crackle before the first few notes came rushing from the speakers. I was immersing myself in the music and art. Sitting with it. Traveling with it. Holding on to the melodies, riffs, grooves, and lyrics. Feeling all of it become a part of myself. It was so much more than just listening to music. It was experiencing music. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is. Fast forward to 2026… 
Tom Eaton and I are getting ready to release our album “until the light was gone” on May 29th. This music is heavily influenced by what we listen to, but more importantly, HOW we listen. In the age of streaming singles, curated cookie-cutter playlists, and short-form content (which seems to be getting shorter all the time to accommodate our ever-shrinking attention spans), we purposely created an album that invites the listener to slow down and immerse themselves in a story told through the arc of the 14 tracks on the record.
Tom and I have our own very eclectic tastes in music, and we also have our own distinct musical voices, but when our influences and voices intertwine, the result is a shared musicality that creates something different and new. The music on “until the light was gone” is sometimes ambient, sometimes it grooves, sometimes it floats, sometimes it sounds like pop music…and sometimes it’s all of that at the same time. As we hear back from reviewers and playlist curators, we are hearing a common theme. This album offers listeners something different. It’s hard to categorize. It’s a unique listening experience. It’s something NEW. Jonathan Widran of JWVibe says this about “until the light was gone” ~ “it's the sound of two artists discovering how naturally their musical languages intertwine—and inviting listeners to slow down, breathe and linger in the majestic stillness that arrives just before the light finally fades." When the album comes out later this month, Tom and I really hope you get the chance to carve out some time, sit back, and let the music do its thing. It may take you far away from the everyday grind… it may tell you a story… it may make you feel something you haven't felt before. You just have to let the music work its magic power. Thanks for reading this. I'm going to listen to some Triumph now… Cheers,
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