Some albums begin with a collection of songs. Others grow from years of friendship, shared musical history, and experiences gathered across different places. For The Jardani Crow Band, Love Section carries all of those elements into a deeply collaborative indie folk and roots rock record.
Released across major streaming platforms on September 14, Love Section features 10 songs exploring love, redemption, adversity, peace, and the desire for human connection. Led by longtime musical partners Michael Wheat and Rip Kurtain, the album connects Asheville and New Orleans with musicians contributing from numerous corners of the world.
Friendship Gives the Record Its Heart
Michael Wheat and Rip Kurtain share the kind of creative history that develops through years of making music together. Wheat, based in Asheville, North Carolina, performs vocals and guitar, while New Orleans-based Kurtain plays bass. Long before The Jardani Crow Band took shape, the friends collaborated through Project 4, Jake Leg, and Zama Para.
Their newest band represents the fourth project in their continuing musical partnership. That familiarity plays an important role in Love Section. The two musicians have had years to understand each other’s instincts, influences, and approaches to songwriting.
The album’s name adds another personal dimension. Love Section is dedicated to Section, Jamaica, a community that holds special meaning for Kurtain because close friends and family live there. The dedication complements the album’s wider focus on relationships and connection across distance.
Those themes appear throughout a varied track list. “Fairytale of New Orleans” opens the collection, followed by “Midnight Moon,” “Heart Attack,” the title track “Love Section,” and “Sand & Broken Shells.” The journey continues through “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” “Her Song,” “Train,” “Come What May,” and “Pathway to Hell.” “Heart Attack (Reprise)” provides an additional bonus track.
A Roots-Rock Album With an International Cast
The Jardani Crow Band has developed a simple phrase for its musical personality: “Asheville Grit, New Orleans Groove, and International Flavor.”
That description becomes particularly fitting when looking at the musicians behind Love Section. Around 20 collaborators contributed to the project, creating a recording whose personnel stretches across multiple countries and musical traditions.
Participants include drummer Sergio da Silva from Portugal, cellist Emanuel Pavon from Croatia, Malaysian background vocalist Ally Rozario, UK keyboardist James Graham, South Korean keyboardist Jason Park, Bulgarian background vocalist Dorothy Takev, guitarist Davy Bergier in Japan, Brazilian tuba player Jonas Hocherman, and French violinist Jean-Philippe de Passos.
American contributors expand the instrumental range further. Musicians from New Orleans, Texas, Nashville, Portland, Florida, Colorado, New York, and Connecticut bring keyboards, guitars, mandolin, pedal steel, harmonica, horns, percussion, and vocals into the arrangements.
The band intentionally gives these players space to express their personalities. Individual solos and distinctive instrumental moments allow regional and cultural influences to emerge naturally within the songs. The resulting sound keeps indie folk and roots rock at its center while introducing an assortment of colors around that foundation.
Finding the Listeners Who Share Their Musical Language
The Jardani Crow Band knows the musical lineage that speaks most strongly to its members. Big Star, Wilco, The Band, Gram Parsons, and Tom Petty are among the artists Wheat identifies as meaningful influences on the band’s songwriting, performances, and arrangements.
“Admirers of Big Star, Wilco, The Band, Gram Parsons, and Tom Petty are all influences on our songwriting, arrangements, and performances,” Wheat says. “If you love these bands like we do, give us a listen, you’ll feel right at home.”
That sense of welcome suits an album centered on connection. The band hopes Love Section reaches listeners who appreciate thoughtful songwriting, organic instrumentation, expressive performances, and the warmth associated with roots-based music.
The collaborative recording process also reflects the message running through the album. Musicians working from different locations were able to bring their individual voices into one project. Geography became another creative ingredient as the record developed its character.
About The Jardani Crow Band
The Jardani Crow Band is an indie folk and roots rock project fronted by Michael Wheat and Rip Kurtain. Wheat handles vocals and guitar from Asheville, while Kurtain plays bass from New Orleans. Their friendship and musical partnership extends across decades and includes three previous bands together: Project 4, Jake Leg, and Zama Para.
With an international collective of session musicians surrounding its core members, the band builds songs around honest writing, personal chemistry, expressive musicianship, and cultural influences gathered from across the globe.
Where the Journey Leads
Love Section feels closely tied to the people and places that shaped The Jardani Crow Band. From Asheville and New Orleans to Section, Jamaica, and the many countries represented by its collaborators, the September 14 release carries a genuinely international spirit.
For indie folk and roots rock listeners searching for music grounded in friendship and human connection, Love Section offers an inviting place to settle in and listen.
