THE VIEW FROM THE NORTH: LA Dust, Yorkshire Rain, and an Illogical Collab
Kyle Rising (Image: Piper Ferguson)
It started, as so many modern adventures do, with the sudden ping of an Instagram notification.
Someone, somewhere in the digital ether, had been reading North of Here and decided to throw a coordinate my way. Sending over a track from an LA-based artist, set for release on June 19th, they wondered if I might want to collaborate.
Now, if you’d told the 20-year-old version of me—the one obsessively flipping through vinyl sleeves in the racks of Crash Records in Leeds, UK—that one day an artist from Los Angeles would seek out my musical opinion via a pocket-sized supercomputer, I’d have said, in true Yorkshire dialect, “You need your bumps feeling”.
But leaving the diagnosis of any bumps to one side, when the universe drops a new tune on your doorstep, you put the kettle on, sit down, and listen.
The California Co-ordinate
As I started to get to grips with this new track, letting the sonic layers settle, the mere mention of Los Angeles instantly triggered a massive internal retrospective.
Our musical maps are peculiar beasts. My own map was originally drawn by my Dad, heavily tracking through Irish folk, country, and the swagger of the Rolling Stones. But as my own musical branches extended their tentacles, they inevitably stretched across the Atlantic.
For decades, the West Coast of America has cast a long, sun-drenched shadow over my turntable. I’ve spent years furrowing the grooves of Neil Young, absorbing the dark world of The Doors, digging into the tragic, beautiful country-rock folklore of Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels, and tracking the evolution of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
There is an undeniable magic to that classic 1967–1972 Golden Era of California rock. It’s a time-capsule aesthetic of ink, cardboard, and acoustic wood.
A Heavy Shift in the Weather
When most people think of the LA sound, they think of the gentle, intricate harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, or the poetic, dulcimer-laden introspection of Joni Mitchell. Beautiful, yes. But sometimes a bit too polite for a Tuesday afternoon in the North.
Enter Kyle Rising.
Kyle Rising, Making No Apologies
Kyle Rising, Making No Apologies (Image: Piper Ferguson)
I started digging into his backstory and found a musician who has spent years casting aside traditional musical shackles. Around 2016, he formed the rock/reggae outfit Sensi Trails, eventually moving to San Diego in 2018 to answer a full-time rock & roll calling. He created a stir back in 2023 with a spine-tingling, reggae-infused cover of The Doors' People Are Strange that drew heavy comparisons to Jim Morrison—both in vocal depth and appearance.
Lately, he’s been branching off into solo territory, plunging into the same country-rock heritage that lines my own shelves. You can hear the ghosts of Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman, and The Desert Rose Band seeping into his newer work.
When I heard his recent acoustic interpretation of Dylan’s I Shall Be Released featuring Magdalena Christiansen, I knew he was the real deal.
Oh, and he has also managed to find some time for acting – appearing as the lead character in the yet to be released comedy movie Ed Rock, directed by Todd Meagher.
When I’m With You It Feels So Right: The New Single – Quarters
His new track takes those 60s and 70s rock DNA markers and injects something much more rugged. It’s a hit heavier. It trades the acoustic campfire for an overdriven amplifier. It’s got sonic muscle. It feels less like a pristine Malibu beach and more like a late-night drive through the gritty, neon-lit underbelly of the city, windows down, engine humming.
It’s the kind of sound that bridges the gap between the rootsy Lowell George style storytelling I love and the high-octane energy of bands showcased on Lenny Kaye’s curated Nuggets garage bands trove or a vintage CCR record. It’s loud, it’s intentional, and it doesn't apologise for taking up space.
Bouncing out of the speakers the song Quarters showcases Kyle Rising’s majestic voice – it’s got that classic rock life-on-the-road patina and the engaging tone of his delivery, draws you into a world inhabited by all the artists mentioned earlier.
With a classic melody underpinned by a ferocious beat and guitar motifs that hit just right, this isn’t just a retread of the past, it takes the vintage California blueprint, strips away the Hollywood gloss, and applies a fresh, bold coat of rock 'n' roll laced intent.
“This song came from a place of trying to hold on while the world keeps spinning faster. Hard lessons and memories you can’t shake, all while learning what’s actually worth keeping by your side.”
Kyle Rising appears at Beach Buzz Fest, Huntington Beach, CA, 14th June 2026.
Beach Buzz Fest Flyer, Sunday June 14th 2026
Keeping the Turntable Spinning
We often talk around here about the Second Act being a time to lean into curiosity and creative freedom. Part of that means refusing to let our listening habits calcify. It means being just as excited about a track dropping next week as we are about an album recorded sixty years ago.
The countdown to June 19th is on. Do yourself a favour: turn the volume up, check out Kyle’s release when it hits the airwaves, and let’s see where this coordinate takes us.
🎧 Listen Here: You can follow his updates on Instagram and pre-save or spin the track across all streaming platforms via the official smartlink at orcd.co/w4qjdjr
