A fresh Adult Alternative / Americana group featuring well-known Nashville veterans initiates a Kickstarter campaign for enthusiastic supporters.
The River Cryers have crafted an outstanding debut record. Picture The Traveling Wilburys spending time with Don Henley aboard the Mississippi Queen while it travels through America’s heartland.”— Mark HollingsworthNASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The River Cryers, an Americana rock outfit composed of prominent figures from other accomplished acts, will be seeking crowdfunding for the rollout of their self-titled first album beginning August 11th and concluding September 10th, 2026 via Kickstarter.
Featuring Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay, "The Chosen" soundtracks) on lead vocals/keys, Billy Smiley (White Heart) on guitar/BGVs, Steve Hindalong (The Choir, Sixpence None the Richer) on drums/harmonica/BGVs, Ron Hemby (The Imperials, Eaglemaniacs) on lead vocals/bass/guitar, and Matt Nelson ("The Chosen" soundtracks, composer/multi-instrumentalist) on guitar/bass/cello/BGVs, this five-piece has collectively moved over 13 million albums across the groups they have been involved in. The River Cryers regard this project as a work of passion. Drawing from their shared admiration for and dedication to songwriting, they have collaboratively written eleven tracks that will appeal to enthusiasts of harmony-driven rock, reminiscent of CSNY, The Byrds, Tom Petty, and The Eagles.
“We kicked off this whole River Cryers project under the motto, ‘No one is asking for this,’ but now people are beginning to request hearing what we’ve been working on,” says Dan Haseltine, who sold over 9 million albums and earned three Grammy Awards with Jars of Clay. "We aren’t doing this for a record label. We haven’t written any of these songs for anyone else besides what felt right to us and what was enjoyable to explore. We didn’t set out to form a band at first, but eventually we figured, ‘well, let’s give it a name’, and it turned into The River Cryers.”
Billy Smiley adds, “Honestly, above everything, we want people to connect with and experience the emotions behind our writing and to come along on that ride with us.”
“There’s a great deal of creative energy in what we do, and each person brings something distinct to their role. Our voices are quite different, yet they harmonize really effectively,” Ron Hemby notes.
Matt Nelson remarks, “Getting to witness the creative minds of the other four guys and observe the brilliant approaches across our entire band is a truly meaningful experience.”
The River Cryers have already completed the first single Cry Me a River, along with a music video that will be promoted as part of the campaign.
The set of songs, produced by the band themselves, will be mastered by the renowned Richard Dodd, who has finished albums for artists such as George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Scaggs, Wilco, Robert Plant, The Black Keys, Traveling Wilburys, Steve Earle, and many others.
The push to secure financial backing from supporters will occur through the Kickstarter platform and is being managed by the Galaxy21 Productions team of Dan and Lisa Michaels. For several decades, Dan served as the head of marketing for INO/Fair Trade Records, overseeing the sale of tens of millions of albums.
“We’ve known Dan and his wife, Lisa, for many years, and we have confidence in their capacity to show how heartfelt music can resonate with audiences,” says Steve Hindalong. “They’ve achieved remarkable success running Kickstarter campaigns for other musicians, and we’re certain they’ll do the same for The River Cryers.”
“The River Cryers have a brilliant debut album being crafted in the studio. Picture The Traveling Wilburys spending time with Don Henley aboard the Mississippi Queen while it travels through America’s heartland,” states manager Mark Hollingsworth.
“Our goal is to gather enough funds to also assist with some promotion targeting Americana format radio stations, as we believe this record contains plenty of material suited for radio play,” Hollingsworth concludes.
The band has already generated excitement as one of the highlighted artists on the soundtrack for "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," the highest-grossing film on the Lionsgate roster in 2024. The River Cryers Kickstarter campaign will run for 30 days beginning Aug. 11th. Backers will have the opportunity to obtain digital downloads, CDs, and vinyl editions of the album prior to the general release. Additional reward incentives will be offered, such as handwritten lyrics, instruments used during the writing/recording process, collectibles from their previous bands, personal visits with band members, and more.
More information can be found here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rivercryers/the-river-cryers-debut-album-on-vinyl-cd-and-digital?ref=1wgx5i
Mark Hollingsworth
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The River Cryers Kickstarter Campaign Video
