Music created between distant places can still feel remarkably close. That sense of connection defines Love Section, the forthcoming album from Love Section. Led by longtime friends Michael Wheat and Rip Kurtain, the project combines American roots traditions, international musicianship, and songs shaped by compassion.
Decades of Friendship Find a New Creative Home
The Jardani Crow Band represents the latest stage in a musical relationship that has developed across decades. Michael Wheat handles vocals and guitar from Asheville, North Carolina, while bassist Rip Kurtain is based in New Orleans. Long before forming this group, the two friends worked together in Project 4, Jake Leg, and Zama Para.
Those earlier projects gave Wheat and Kurtain years to understand each other’s musical instincts. Their connection now serves as the foundation for writing that feels thoughtful, confident, and emotionally open. With time has come a greater willingness to explore new arrangements, invite unexpected influences, and follow each song wherever it needs to go.
Their locations also play an important role. Asheville offers the narrative character of Appalachian music and the rugged atmosphere of Western North Carolina. New Orleans contributes rhythmic vitality, soulful expression, and an enduring culture of musical exchange. The Jardani Crow Band brings these regional qualities together under its fitting motto: “Asheville Grit, New Orleans Groove and International Flavor.”
The result falls naturally within indie folk and roots rock. Traces of artists such as Big Star, Wilco, The Band, and Tom Petty can be heard in the group’s appreciation for melody, storytelling, and organic instrumentation. Wheat and Kurtain shape those qualities through their own friendship and experiences, allowing the band to establish a recognizable identity.
Ten Songs Built Through Global Collaboration
Scheduled for release across major streaming platforms at the end of August 2026, Love Section contains ten songs exploring devotion, redemption, struggle, peace, and personal renewal. The record documents difficult emotional terrain while preserving a steady belief in healing.
Its creation stretched across cities, countries, and continents. Wheat and Kurtain collaborated remotely with international session musicians, assembling individual performances into recordings filled with warmth and natural chemistry. Although the contributors worked from separate locations, they approached the material with a common artistic purpose.
The lead single, “Her Song,” captures the effectiveness of that process. Wheat recorded his vocal and guitar parts in Asheville, and Kurtain played bass from New Orleans. Sergio da Silva supplied drums from Portugal, Ally Rozario added background vocals from Malaysia, and Sam Choate contributed guitar from Texas.
Their work forms an atmospheric composition that moves through Americana, roots rock, classic pop, and jazz-inspired flourishes. Lyrically, the song focuses on surrender, emotional commitment, and the desire to make a meaningful night last forever. Recurring musical motifs, expressive guitar passages, and a carefully layered arrangement deepen its romantic mood. The accompanying video has already surpassed 22,000 views.
“Heart Attack,” the third song on the album, offers a more restless perspective. It features Wheat on vocals and guitar, Kurtain on bass, da Silva on drums, and Bryan Daste on pedal steel. The track begins melodically before moving into evocative scenes involving photographs, blood-red doors, and December girls.
Images of smoking, passing time, vertigo, and making a will add urgency to the narrative. Its repeated “half mile from my heart attack” refrain creates an uneasy emotional pulse, while instrumental sections give the story room to unfold.
The roots-rock selections “Sand and Broken Shells” and “Fairytale of New Orleans” add further variety to the collection. Each title suggests a strong sense of place and imagery, qualities that remain central to the band’s approach.
A Dedication Rooted in Personal Concern
Beyond its musical ambitions, Love Section carries a direct humanitarian message. The album is dedicated to the resilient community of Section, Jamaica, as residents recover from the widespread destruction left by Hurricane Melissa.
The cause holds personal importance for Kurtain because close friends and family members live in the heavily affected region. That relationship gives the dedication genuine emotional weight and connects the album’s reflections on adversity with the experiences of a real community.
Love, unity, and recovery appear throughout the record as lived concerns. The musicians’ ability to collaborate across borders also supports its message. Their work shows how trust and shared intention can bring distant people together through a universal creative language.
About the Artists
The Jardani Crow Band is led by lifelong friends and veteran musicians Michael Wheat and Rip Kurtain. Combining Asheville’s Appalachian character with the soulful rhythmic heritage of New Orleans, the duo creates indie folk and roots rock enriched by international contributions. Their previous collaborations include Project 4, Jake Leg, and Zama Para.
The Road Ahead
With Love Section, The Jardani Crow Band transforms a lasting friendship into ten songs about human emotion, perseverance, and community. The album honors the duo’s history while opening space for voices from around the world.
Its August 2026 arrival will introduce listeners to a record driven by sincerity and collective spirit. For Wheat and Kurtain, this chapter carries a clear purpose: create meaningful music, celebrate connection, and share hope across every distance.
Here is a message from the band members:
“To anyone discovering us for the first time, we invite you to lean in and get lost in the soundscape. We have poured our lives into crafting music that feels both nostalgic and entirely fresh, blending beautiful harmonies and shimmering guitars with driving bass lines and explosive instrument solos. If you love the sonic textures of Wilco, the power-pop sensibilities of Big Star, and the timeless, driving energy of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, you are going to feel right at home here. More than anything, we want you to know that this music is built on real connection, decades of friendship, and a genuine global mission. We hope these songs become the soundtrack to your own journeys, and we cannot wait to welcome you into the Jardani Crow Band family.”
