Salim Nourallah
Photo: Gaines Greer
And just like that, it’s a brand-new year. With the arrival of 2024 comes a fresh set of months and brand-new opportunities for local musicians to either see long-held ambitions come to fruition, or to seize new opportunities, cultivated over long periods of time.
Rather than single out deserving artists to keep an eye on for the next dozen months, we were interested in hearing from North Texas musicians about not only what they have on deck, but also what they’re looking forward to outside of their own creative endeavors.
Salim Nourallah
What’s upcoming in 2024: “I’m very excited about the 2024 release of the third Disappearing Act record, An Illusion,” Nourallah said via email. “I’ve been working on its sporadically for three years with John Dufilho and Bob Blumenfeld. Bob is a childhood friend of mine from El Paso.”
What I’m excited about: “Dufilho, Chris Holt and I also worked on the debut record of a local songwriter that goes by Lasseter. Lasseter and I co-wrote a bunch of tunes in the [Tom] Petty/[Bob] Dylan vein. His debut is called The Wildest Card. It was recorded here in Dallas at my Pleasantry Lane studios.”
Caroline Sears
What’s upcoming in 2024: “I’m in the beginning stages of a new album, and feel super excited about where it might go,” Sears said via email. “Right now, I spend a fair amount of time staring into space, playing the songs in my head, and imagining what I might like to add to them. Pedal steel? Windchimes? Dare I say … banjo? Stepping into the studio this weekend to get some first takes. Who knows what we’ll end up with?”
What I’m excited about: “I’m looking forward to the Kerrville Folk Festival this spring. I attended for the first time last year and heard some incredible songs that really touched my heart. They also have songwriting camps and workshops, led by incredible teachers and songwriters.”
Rafael Garcia (aka Rafa)
What’s upcoming in 2024: “2024 will be very artistically exciting for me,” Rafa said via email. “This year is all about collaborating and features. I’m crazy excited to be working with other Latin artists across Mexico and the US. As a first generation Mexican-American from the border, I’ve always dreamed of bridging that divide and meshing together both worlds. Lately, it’s been so much fun being in self-discovery mode, writing in genres ranging from hyperpop to corridos tumbados, working to have something for everyone at my shows. I’m also cooking up music with a sick one straight out of Dallas, DJ RayBurger. I’m dumb excited for what’s to come with Ray. Lastly, I’m cooking up a new album titled Neomex, including some of the collaborative work I’ve mentioned.”
Jeff Ryan, drummer and producer
What’s upcoming in 2024: “This year will include more performances with John Dufilho’s new project John Buffalo, finishing a record with Jackson and Levi Scribner, as well as recording more drum tracks with West African artist Saly Kouyate at Consolvo Studio in east Dallas,” Ryan said via email. “I’ll have more Motorcade shows this year, too.”
What I’m excited about: “As far as what’s new and what we should be paying attention to, there’s a new singer-songwriter in town, and his name is David Forsyth. He just self-released a single called “MercedesBenz” that is getting played all over the place, including being featured on BBC Scotland’s “Another Country with Ricky Ross” this past week, and is releasing another single on State Fair Records’ Singles Club on Jan. 16 titled “Love Comes Back Around,” which features another local luminary Frankie Leonie and co-written by the Scribner brothers.”
Lou CharLe$
What’s upcoming in 2024: “Right now, I’m in the studio working on my next album, And Good Things Happen, which I plan to release this year,” CharLe$ said via email. “Leading up to the album, I will be dropping a string of singles, taking the listener on a journey of where my life currently is, and what’s been going on since the 2021 release of Life Goes On. The first single is set to drop in February. Other than that, I will be playing shows and hitting stages all over [and I’m] very excited to share the new music with everyone who has been riding with me.”
What I’m excited about: “Live music … live music … live music! Always seems like my best music memories are at concerts. One show that sticks out to me [on the calendar] is the Mick Jenkins concert in February at Trees. He dropped a great album last year, and I’ve been wanting to catch that live.”
Court Hoang
What’s upcoming in 2024: “This year, I’ll be releasing the first two parts of my third album,” Hoang said via email. “Each part is three songs and will be released on each season’s solstice or equinox, starting with the fall equinox in September. The full album will feature all 12 songs, plus an additional four instrumentals to transition between each season.”
What I’m excited about: “I’m super excited about this year’s Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, and especially excited to see Joy Clark on the line-up!”
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
