RIVAL SONS' JAY BUCHANAN Announces London And Paris Shows To Celebrate Release Of New Solo Album 'Weapons Of Beauty'

Jay Buchanan, frontman of Grammy-nominated rock band RIVAL SONS, will play some special intimate shows, including London and Paris, to celebrate the release of his debut solo album, "Weapons Of Beauty".

Buchanan is a vocalist, songwriter and performer of rare intensity — a preacher-voiced storyteller whose live performances feel less like concerts and more like communal reckonings. Buchanan has spent over a decade commanding the world's biggest stages with RIVAL SONS, wielding a voice that can roar like thunder or fall to a near-whisper. These shows promise to linger long after the lights go down.

Last year, Buchanan previewed material from "Weapons Of Beauty" in two sold-out shows in London and Paris. Those lucky enough to be in the room witnessed a deeply personal artistic journey: Buchanan stepping away from the safety of RIVAL SONS and into his own romantic desert wilderness. By his own admission to the rapt London audience, "So you all know, there's going to be quite a few slow songs tonight. Whatever you've come here for, I'm going to take my time."

Buchanan's live presence is magnetic and unvarnished. Whether standing alone with a guitar or fronting a full band, he draws audiences into an intimate space — one where vulnerability is not just allowed, but demanded. His voice, steeped in gospel, soul and American roots music, moves effortlessly between grit and grace, embodying both the rock star and the singer-songwriter in the same breath.

Buchanan recently released a new single, "True Black". The track is the latest unveiled from "Weapons Of Beauty", which will arrive on February 6 on Sacred Tongue Records via Thirty Tigers. The album will be available in a variety of formats, including limited-edition autographed color vinyl and CD, exclusively through Sacred Tongue / Second Sun.

Last year Buchanan appeared in the acclaimed biopic "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere", portraying the frontman of the Stone Pony house band alongside Jeremy Allen-White. He features on three tracks from the film's soundtrack, and following Jay's movie debut, the film's director Scott Cooper, went on to sequence "Weapons Of Beauty", enhancing the album's narrative flow and cinematic pacing.

Beyond his own work, Buchanan is a respected collaborator, having shared stages and studios with artists including THE BLOODY BEETROOTS, Brandi Carlile, Barry Gibb, Miranda Lambert, THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA, MASSIVE ATTACK and Jason Isbell.

"Weapons Of Beauty" marks Buchanan's tenth album with nine-time Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, continuing one of modern rock's most enduring creative partnerships. Cobb reflects: "I think this record is like seeing into the heart of Jay — no filter, no noise, just pure raw emotion."

To support the album's release, Buchanan will embark on a short run of special shows:

Feb. 17 - Nashville, TN @ Basement East
Feb. 23 - London, UK @ The Lower Third
Feb. 25 - Paris, France @ Les Étoiles,

Tickets go on sale for Paris and London shows on Friday, January 23. All tickets are available at weaponsofbeauty.com.

"Weapons Of Beauty" is the result of months of reflection and experimentation, much of which was spent living in an underground bunker deep in the Mojave Desert — a windowless, closet-sized sanctuary powered by a small generator near the mouth of an abandoned gold mine.

"Every caterpillar knows when it's time to get into the cocoon," Buchanan says.

There, below the earth and the watchful eyes of curious coyotes, Buchanan wrote an unfiltered 10-song collection that captures Buchanan's raw vocals and lived-in storytelling. The first track shared from the album "Caroline" was released last year and accompanied by a video filmed down an abandoned gold mine near where Jay wrote the album.

"As music continues to be choked out by technology, I wanted to draw pictures in the dirt," Buchanan reflects. "This approach is right with me and I've just come to a point where there is no longer a choice. 'Weapons Of Beauty' is the sound of these plates shifting within me, too loud to ignore. Surprisingly, I've never known a vulnerability to feel so empowering."

The album was recorded at Dave Cobb's studio in Savannah, Georgia, with a small ensemble of Nashville's finest — Chris Powell (drums),Leroy Powell (pedal steel guitar),Brian Allen (bass),J.D. Simo (guitar),and Philip Towns (keys).

Buchanan also enlisted longtime friend and acclaimed American realist painter Jeremy Lipking to create the album's striking cover, a romantic counterpart to the music's love of the American landscape.

Photo credit: Matthew Wignall