Sanford: announces third LP and accepts the past with new track "Hooked on a Dream

Laureen
4 hours ago
3 min read

Today, Brooklyn via South Carolina DIY cross-genre musician Sanford: announces his third record Big Tent Revival due out January 30 available for pre-save now . Alongside the announcement, the artist shares the first taste with "Hooked on a Dream"–listen now.

The forthcoming LP, Big Tent Revival, picks up where the second album, Extinguished Dreams, ends–down to the guitar notes. Written, arranged, recorded and performed entirely by Sanford: (aside from “Just Waiting” which features Jay Rattman on assorted woodwinds), the new project sheds light the modern music industry, fleeting love, the passage of time, religion and more on through a mix of jazz, country, Americana, folk, prog-rock and more.

Expanding on the story of the album, Sanford: says, "Thanks to a hard drive failure it almost didn’t happen, and due to some recovery services being more like extortion, I was almost ready to just let the songs and album be forgotten. Luckily, I found someone that was much more reasonable so the album continued. There’s a mix of very personal views on some songs, personal experiences, commentary on scenes and current events, music industry, AI and long mostly fictional epics." Previous releases off of the album include singles "CONTENT," "We'll Leave The Light On For Ya" and "Wasn't Born Yesterday."

Today's release, "Hooked on a Dream," brings the listener to Manhattan's Avenue A in 2008 as the musician takes a moment to meaningfully reflect on the past. With sounds that pull from 80s and 90s alt-rock, Sanford: calls it "A college alt-rock tune about a past that is no longer there." It's an acceptance that things end.

Complete with blink and you'll miss it musical tribute to David Lynch, Sanford: adds, "It takes the mid-late 2000’s East Village, where I spent a lot of time after moving into the city, and uses it as a setting, or person, or time, nostalgia, all up for interpretation to the listener."

LISTEN: "Hooked on a Dream"

Sanford: is the mixed genre project of songwriter and musician Jay Sanford, several years in the making. In 2023, Sanford: shared his debut album The View Changes, including track "Gone To Hell" which has surpassed 100K streams. On the smooth, gently optimistic "Anymore," NYS Music wrote, "It has the southern twang of Jay Sanford’s hometown in South Carolina and a brooding, bouncing bass-line that evokes Sanford’s current locale, Brooklyn. The stellar horn section..gently guides these two seemingly opposing forces together." The following year the artist shared his sophomore effort, Extinguished Dreams. Prism Reviews praised its "intricate storytelling," calling it "rich in story and rich in sound." Now, the musician prepares to expand his discography with a fresh, sonically diverse body of work that merges his roots with his present day and expresses his artistry and perspective like never before.

Sanford:'s Lower East Side-inspired, alt-rock tune "Hooked on a Dream" is out now. The next chapter in his story, Big Tent Revival, is due out January 30 and is available for pre-save now. Connect with Sanford: now via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, Sanford: announces third LP and accepts the past with new track "Hooked on a Dream