The Talbott Brothers, hailing from the heartland of Imperial, Nebraska, embody the heart and soul of Americana, Folk/Rock, Soul, Blues and Country with their blue-collar grit and unapologetic authenticity. Grounded in the character of their rural upbringing, brothers Nick and Ty Talbott have built a name for themselves with their soul-stirring lyrics, sibling blood harmonies, and rich melodies that represent the ebbs and flows of life.

Their 2017 track “We Got Love” from their debut album Gray propelled them to national recognition, filling venues across the country. Building on that success, Ghost Talker (2019) and Letters (2022) captured the attention of major outlets, Rolling Stone praised their sound as “cinematic folk-rock for open highways,” Billboard highlighted their “haunting brotherly harmonies,” and The Boot touted them as a must-listen “for fans of John Mayer, Mumford & Sons, and Jason Isbell.”

After years of soaking in Portland’s eclectic energy, the brothers felt a strong calling back to their Midwest roots. Returning to their small town of 2,000 people, they realized that their unchanged hometown had been instrumental in their own evolution.

This revelation led to the creation of their new album Borderlands, set to drop on Friday, May 2, 2025. The record navigates the emotional frontiers suggested by its name, where heartbreak leads to healing, grief discovers joy, sadness gives way to happiness, anger finds forgiveness, and indifference becomes love. It’s a sonic exploration of finding the courage to leave home, while always carrying a piece of it with you.

Borderlands marks a profound personal rebirth, capturing a thematic journey that brings them full circle, back to their roots. This new collection of songs embodies their return to the simplicity and honesty that originally fueled their music, delivering a powerful and introspective glimpse into their growth as artists. The Talbott Brothers weave their experiences and struggles into a rich tapestry of sound, echoing the resilience and soul of Nebraska’s working class. “Pops works at John Deere and Mom was a teacher,” Ty explains, delving into their experience of going back home to inspire the new project. “During the creative and writing process we spent our days riding motorcycles, going to the lake, shooting guns, driving around listening to old rock and roll and country music, making fires and writing songs.” 

“We recorded our last record during the pandemic and we explored a lot of different sounds since we were hulled up in a studio for so long,” says Ty. “With ‘Borderlands,’ we wanted to create everything around an acoustic guitar and track things in a room together, keeping it as bare bones as possible.” They decided to embrace the imperfections, opting for a raw, authentic sound instead of the polished production of their previous album. 

Beyond physically returning home, the brothers also revisited their sonic roots, breaking into their Pops’ vinyl collection of all the classics: Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Strait, Creedence Clearwater, Jackson Browne, and Fleetwood Mac. They immersed themselves in the sounds of an acoustic guitar and a gravel road, roughening up their style to fully embrace their roots of country, Americana, and homegrown rock and roll. Inspired by the iconic songwriting of artists like Ray LaMontagne, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, and Chris Stapleton, the brothers crafted a sound that feels like coming home while also propelling them into a new era.

“It’s amazing how the heart can hurt and heal and lead us to new experiences we never thought possible,” Nick shares.” “‘Borderlands’ also represents a transitional place, pushing our limits to the edge and exploring new areas in life.”

The lead single, “Kerosene,” provides a preview of the real-life stories featured in the project. This track is a playful love song that captures the essence of having someone worth returning to, someone who stands by you through both the highs and lows and accepts you for who you are. Recorded at two different studios, the brothers pieced together the final version by stitching together the best elements from each session. “Some songs take years to write and some take minutes,” Ty explains. “This was one of those quick ones and it has been really fun to play live.”

“These songs span a few years so our state of mind wasn’t the same from when we started to when we finished. If listened through top to bottom, you can hear the journey in the progression of the songs,” Nick elaborates. “Ultimately, ‘Borderlands’ expresses our own character change, it’s full of grit, grief and good times.”

From a young age, the brothers were inundated by music — from the tape recorder and plastic guitar they hauled around to the weekly CMT and VH1 Top 20 Countdowns they’d park themselves in front of the TV for. At the beginning, Nick and Ty relied on their blue-collar upbringing until they could scrape together enough cash for a van off Craigslist. Then they hit the road, touring the country’s dive bars, coffee shops, and honky-tonks with a stack of burned CDs filled with songs recorded at a friend’s cabin. 

Music, the common thread between the brothers, kept them connected through their college years as Nick would sneak his younger brother into bars on weekends to play together. Their shared stories and life experiences create an ease of communication in their songwriting, making it the one place where they consistently find common ground. “There’s more collaboration than sibling rivalry these days but we still get competitive,” Ty jokes. “Now most of the time we just fight for the same thing instead of each other.”

The Talbott Brothers have drawn in a loyal fanbase that resonates with the raw authenticity and grit embedded in their music. In recent years, the duo has toured globally, headlining their own shows and sharing the stage with heavyweights like NEEDTOBREATHE, Wild Rivers, Johnnyswim, and ZZ Ward. They’ve also made their mark on the festival scene, playing The Rock Boat, AMERICANAFEST, Portland Folk Festival, and Pure Imagination Festival. This adventure continues with their Borderlands Tour this spring.

When touching on what they hope Borderlands says about them, The Talbott Brothers responded: “As artists, we hope it says we’re real. As brothers, we hope it says we’re unbreakable.”

“We built this one from the ground up. No label, no machine—just heart, grit, and a hell of a lot of miles,” they concluded. Borderlands is available everywhere now.

-Jessica Bonner | Milestone Publicity (2025)

      

WOLFSKILL & THE WILD

A classically-trained violinist, and a songwriting troubadour, Wolfskill & The Wild are a Midwest-grown, Iowan native folk-duo, delivering an authentic and bold musical fusion. Blending alternative folk, contemporary strings, and experimental ambiancethat pays homage to their Driftless Area roots.

Trailblazing their own path, Wolfskill & The Wild has performed on stage in support of acts including: Son Little, The Ballroom Thieves, The Arcadian Wild, & Chicago Farmer.

Discover more of Wolfskill & The Wild at:
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