John David Kent

John David Kent’s 2023 album, Patina, features 12 new songs that explore American stories through the lens of a man well traveled. From “Collar Blue” where Kent sings of the work ethic he witnessed growing up in Texas that runs deep in the blackland soil; to “Up All Night” where he confronts anxieties and a longing for inner peace; to the piano driven “My Old Self” which sees him contemplating the desire to return to a simpler version of oneself; and the uplifting foot stomping rocker “Let It Shine” with the lyric “when you feel like hope is gone and no strength to carry on -- let it shine”. With Patina, Kent delivers an album that is filled with more midlife catharsis than crisis.

Connecting with producer Ben Rice (Valerie June, The Candles, Norah Jones) who Kent met while on tour, the two shared work-tapes of songs and connected on daily phone calls until the songs were ready to record. Patina was recorded at Rice’s studio Degraw Sound in Brooklyn, NY with friends and seasoned session players including Josh Lattanzi (bass), Greg Wieczorek (drums), Pete Remm (keyboards), Dan Iead (pedal steel) with Kent and Rice handling guitar duties.

While time can reveal old wounds, it can also heal them and breathe life into a new perspective. Kent’s embracement of vulnerability and knack for singable melodies is on full display on Patina where he connects simple truths for a diverse audience.