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...in a sea of fire

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Chris Watts

Label: Self Produced
Released: 2026
Views: 118

Tracks

The Trial of Joseph K; They’ve All Gone Off to Kansas; Windigo; Nakba; Lonely Woman

Personnel

Additional Personnel / Information

John Judkins, slide guitar track 2

Album Description

In Nashville’s varied underground music landscape, Kannon stands out as a quartet of seekers. With a lineup of Chris Watts on saxophone, Gabe Crouch on guitar, Dillon Smith on bass, and Josh Minyard on drums, they channel a sound that is both incendiary and introspective, an approach amplified by the second track featuring a cameo from Rwake guitarist John Judkins on pedal steel.

By eschewing both traditional composition and chaotic noise, Kannon’s sound is wholly unique, existing between the realms of post-rock and free jazz.

Their second album, …in a sea of fire, is a testament to evolution under pressure. The title reflects the chaos and darkness of the times, yet the music within reveals a disciplined, intuitive unity. This is not noise for noise’s sake, but a controlled burn. Harmonically and dynamically more diverse than their 2023 self-titled debut, …in a sea of fire pushes the uncertain and angered emotions of our era to the forefront. The saxophone soars, grieves, and sears above textured guitars and a rhythm section that breathes as one, embodying the album’s central theme: finding connection and clarity amid the blaze.

The creative process was an act of trust. Inspired by the principles of deep listening and real-time reaction, Kannon built tracks from unstructured improvisations, emphasizing presence over planning. Literary influences ranging from Kafka’s existential The Trial to Robin Wall Kimmerer’s wisdom learned from the Windigo in Braiding Sweetgrass and Stephen King’s themes of isolation in The Stand lend conceptual depth, while tracks like “Nakba” engage directly with contemporary grief. The result is an album that feels both timely and timeless: a document of a band listening intently to each other and to the world.

With this release, Kannon solidifies their place as a compelling voice in the experimental sphere: a band unafraid, dedicated to the craft of feeling, and ready to bring their flame to a wider, more diverse audience.