Sitting at a corner café table, Benjamin Tod’s eyes light up when asked what it’s like to finally embrace happiness and accept love. With a slight grin, he sips his coffee and leans back, one arm draped casually and comfortably over the chair.

“I’m kind of settling into my age, into allowing myself to be happy,” the 33-year-old says. “For years, I led myself and the people around me into a lot of unnecessary darkness. And now, I’ve learned how to give and receive affection — it’s helped heal a lot of parts of myself.”

Tod’s demeanor is a far cry from his usual stiff posture stance with arms folded, this permeating sense of trepidation and scrutiny for what trouble may be coming down the pike. The relaxed, calm aura is a sign of a human being who has overcome lifelong personal demons, one who has finally become liberated — not only in his personal life, but also his music.

“This latest record is so unusual for what I do,” Tod says. “It’s almost a spite album, to prove what I can do as a writer in whatever medium I step into.”

Titled Shooting Star, the album carves a fresh creative path for Tod, a storied singer-songwriter and frontman of Lost Dog Street Band. The self-proclaimed “proprietor of misery,” Tod finds himself transcending into a life of gratitude, patience, and stability.

“People evolve and change. You’re growing as a person,” Tod says. “If you want to get healthier, you have to start intentionally behaving like a healthy person. You have to look around you and adapt to those things — if you don’t change your identity, it’s hard to change yourself.”

For this latest solo endeavor, Tod tapped some of Nashville’s finest to conjure country gold. Shifting from his signature somber tone of struggle and survival, Tod and his coal fire throat radiate a feeling of clarity and new beginnings in the face of adversity. The result is this intrinsic, musical crossroads — more Hank Williams than Bob Wills, more Marty Stuart than George Jones.

“Most of my career has been laser-focused on poetic, piercing songwriting in mainly a folk tradition.” Tod says. “I wanted to prove to myself and the industry that I could write an elite country record with ease. Either way, if I didn’t accomplish that goal, I sure as hell came closer than anyone on pop country radio.”

The inspiration for the project struck in the summer of 2022, with Tod penning the opening track “I Ain’t The Man.” From there, it became this unrelenting, internal thirst for Tod to begin “imagining what all I could do within a genre slightly outside my comfort zone.”

With a thick thread of honkytonk woven into it, the album leaves fingerprints on seemingly every style of country, from outlaw to red dirt, folk to indie, the culmination of which being a happily welcomed challenge for Tod — the ethos of his life and career at this juncture howling loudly “obstacles are opportunities.”

Candi Jenkins, a singer-songwriter from Fayette County, Kentucky, is making her mark in the country music scene. Kin to Conway Twitty, her music emanates an authenticity that reflects the heart of the Bluegrass State. After a strong run of shows at SXSW 2025, she is gearing up to tour this fall with Clay Street Unit and Son Little, among others.

Candi's music, which blends classic country with fresh modern influences, speaks of her connection to her Kentucky roots. Songs like “Cheap Entertainment” and “God Don’t Care” showcase her raw, genuine approach to songwriting, and her live performances have already earned her a growing following. Most recently, she dropped a striking music video for her song "Cowboys For Fools", directed by Buddy Quaid. 

Though her music journey is new, Candi's return to Kentucky has allowed her to discover her true voice, drawing inspiration from the state's rolling hills and pastoral landscapes. At 30, she is poised for a breakthrough. Since the conception of her musical project in the summer of 2024, she has opened for acts like Jason Boland & The Stragglers, John R. Miller, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Justin Wells, and Steep Canyon Rangers. Candi is already gaining recognition as a standout performer in her sudden emergence.

Her songs are undeniable—heartfelt and relatable, with lyrics that make you laugh, cry, and sing along. With her Kentucky heritage now at the forefront of her music, Candi Jenkins is ready to make a lasting impression on the country and Americana scene.