Langhorne Slim has long inhabited the borderlands between ragged Americana and earnest singer-songwriter craft. Now, he’s leaning headfirst into full-tilt rock & roll. The Nashville-based troubadour has announced The Dreamin’ Kind, a 12-song album due 16 January via Dualtone Records, shaped by an unlikely collaborator – Sam F. Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet, who produced the record.
Slim has released two tracks ahead of the album, the swaggering, video-backed single “Rock N Roll” and the thunderous, harmony-thick “Haunted Man.” They point to a record that trades the stripped-down folk aesthetic that first put him on the map for chugging power chords, 1970s-style riffs, and stacked harmonies. “It felt like I was blowing some old shit up so I could plant some new flowers,” Slim says. It’s a line that perfectly captures the spirit of reinvention running through his new work.
That transformation owes plenty to Kiszka’s guidance. Known for his work as bassist and keyboardist in Greta Van Fleet, Kiszka steps into the producer’s chair for The Dreamin’ Kind, bringing a sense of scale and dynamics born from his own band’s stadium-sized sound. Greta Van Fleet – formed in Frankenmuth, Michigan, in 2012 by brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kiszka, along with drummer Danny Wagner – first shot to prominence when their debut single “Highway Tune” topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in 2017. Their 2017 EP From the Fires earned them a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, and subsequent releases like Anthem of the Peaceful Army (2018), The Battle at Garden’s Gate (2021), and Starcatcher (2023) have confirmed them as leaders of modern classic rock revivalism.
Kiszka, the youngest of the brothers, has often been the band’s secret weapon. His bass playing is steeped in the influence of Motown legend James Jamerson, and his keyboard work evokes the lush tones of the 1970s – skills that translate seamlessly into Slim’s new project. His partnership with Slim came about after Greta Van Fleet invited him to open for them in Connecticut. What began as a one-off show soon led to a creative connection, with Slim later dropping by Kiszka’s Nashville home for loose, freeform writing sessions. Greta Van Fleet drummer Danny Wagner also joined in, giving the songs an added pulse and rock edge.
Back home in Nashville, Slim began shaping a new sound, raw, loud, and electric. “When I’m at home, I’m usually playing acoustic guitar on the couch, and I don’t have much opportunity to plug in and rock out,” Slim says. “Working with Sam and Danny gave me a chance to get loud.” The resulting material became the backbone of The Dreamin’ Kind, recorded gradually over a year between Slim’s touring schedule, family commitments, and his continued work within the recovery community.
Unlike his previous records, which were often tracked quickly in marathon sessions, The Dreamin’ Kind embraced the freedom of experimentation. “There’s an art to production that I’ve never truly danced with before,” Slim says. “Normally, I’d book a studio for ten days and try to knock out an entire album during that time. This wasn’t like that. We didn’t have constraints, and I love the results.”
The Dreamin’ Kind arrives on 16 January 2025 via Dualtone Records.
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