Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons

Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons

From The Working Songwriter by Joe Pug

August 7, 2026 · 1h 0m

About this episode

Jay Buchanan discusses his solo album and his journey with Rival Sons.

Our guest this week on the Working Songwriter hails from a small mountain town in California, but his music has now made it across the world. Jay Buchanan got his start in the early 2000s with a solo project before joining ranks with a rock band and forming Rival Sons. Since 2008, that group has built a remarkable fanbase and beloved discography. Rival Sons have shared stages with an astonishing list of artists including Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, Metallica, and Lenny Kravitz. They’ve appeared on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden,' 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' 'Later... with Jools Holland,' and France’s 'Le Grand Journal.' The band earned two GRAMMY nominations in 2020 for Best Rock Album – for 'Feral Roots' – and Best Rock Performance for “Too Bad.” 'The Guardian' called Buchanan “a revelation” and “a mesmerising presence throughout.” 'Revolver' called him “an undeniable vocal force," and 'Classic Rock' praised his 2026 solo debut, 'Weapons of Beauty,' as “a remarkable journey through soul music, country rock, southern gothic and gospel.” I got a chance to catch up with Jay a few weeks ago to hear about that solo album and…

People in this episode

Host: Joe Pug

Guest: Jay Buchanan

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rival Sons, Black Sabbath, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, Metallica, Lenny Kravitz, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Books & works: Feral Roots, Too Bad, Weapons of Beauty

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