The Jardani Crow Band Weave Asheville Grit and New Orleans Groove into Album ‘Love Section’

Music has a remarkable way of carrying stories between cities, countries, and generations. The Jardani Crow Band embraces that idea on Love Section, an indie folk and roots rock album shaped by lifelong friendship, personal connections, and contributions from musicians scattered across the globe.

Released on September 14 across major streaming platforms, the 10-song record explores love, redemption, adversity, peace, and the search for connection. For band leaders Michael Wheat and Rip Kurtain, it also represents another milestone in a musical partnership that has lasted for decades.

From Asheville and New Orleans to One Shared Sound

The Jardani Crow Band begins with two longtime friends who have spent a significant part of their lives making music together. Michael Wheat, based in Asheville, North Carolina, handles vocals and guitar. Rip Kurtain, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, plays bass.

Their musical relationship predates this band by years. Wheat and Kurtain previously collaborated in Project 4, Jake Leg, and Zama Para, making The Jardani Crow Band their fourth shared project. That history gives them an established creative language and a strong understanding of how each approaches a song.

The geographical distance between Asheville and New Orleans has also become part of the band’s character. Both cities possess recognizable musical identities, and the project draws energy from those surroundings. The band captures its approach through the motto “Asheville Grit, New Orleans Groove, and International Flavor.”

That final element becomes especially important on Love Section. The album expands the partnership between Wheat and Kurtain into something considerably larger, welcoming musicians from around the United States and across international borders.

Ten Songs With a Personal Story Behind Them

The title Love Section carries meaning beyond the album’s central themes. It honors Section, Jamaica, where close friends and family of Kurtain live. The dedication adds a personal geographical connection to a record already concerned with the ways people remain connected across distance.

Its track list provides plenty of intriguing entry points. “Fairytale of New Orleans” leads into “Midnight Moon” and “Heart Attack,” followed by the title track, “Love Section.” “Sand & Broken Shells,” “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” “Her Song,” “Train,” “Come What May,” and “Pathway to Hell” complete the main sequence. The album also includes “Heart Attack (Reprise)” as a bonus track.

Throughout the project, themes surrounding relationships and the human experience provide a common thread. Love sits alongside redemption, difficult circumstances, peaceful reflection, and the continuing desire to find meaningful connections with others.

The band’s inspirations provide another clue to its musical direction. Wheat points toward Big Star, Wilco, The Band, Gram Parsons, and Tom Petty as influences on the songwriting, arrangements, and performances.

“If you love these bands like we do, give us a listen, you’ll feel right at home,” Wheat says.

An International Collective Adds New Colors

While Wheat and Kurtain form the project’s foundation, Love Section reaches outward through an impressive collection of collaborators. Around 20 musicians contributed, bringing different instruments, backgrounds, and regional influences into the recording.

The international lineup stretches from Portugal and Croatia to Malaysia, South Korea, Bulgaria, Japan, Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom. American collaborators come from places including Nashville, Texas, Portland, Florida, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, and New Orleans.

That geographical variety is matched by the instrumentation. Drums and guitars appear alongside cello, mandolin, pedal steel, harmonica, violin, keyboards, guiro, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and layered background vocals.

The Jardani Crow Band developed arrangements that give these musicians opportunities to make distinctive contributions. Expressive solos allow individual performers to bring their own personality into the songs, creating moments where different musical traditions and playing styles can emerge.

The result fits comfortably within indie folk and roots rock while carrying details gathered from a much wider musical community. It also mirrors the album’s broader interest in connection. People separated by oceans and time zones have contributed to one shared collection of songs.

About The Jardani Crow Band

The Jardani Crow Band is led by Michael Wheat on vocals and guitar and Rip Kurtain on bass. Based in Asheville and New Orleans respectively, the lifelong friends previously performed together through Project 4, Jake Leg, and Zama Para.

Their latest project combines roots-oriented songwriting with an international network of session musicians. Friendship, musical craftsmanship, personal storytelling, and collaboration remain central to the band’s identity.

A New Chapter Worth Hearing

With Love Section, The Jardani Crow Band has transformed decades of shared musical experience into an album with an unusually wide geographic reach. Its September 14 arrival introduces listeners to songs shaped by meaningful places, trusted collaborators, and the creative chemistry between two longtime friends.

For fans of indie folk and roots rock, the album offers a chance to discover a band following its own well-traveled pathway, with Asheville grit, New Orleans groove, and international flavor accompanying every step.