Veteran recording artist and touring musician Scott Kinnebrew returns with “Skyman,” the newest single release from his solo project, Sounding Arrow. A full-length album, also called Skyman, arrives in early 2026.
Over some 30 years, Scott Kinnebrew has shared the stage with a long list of renowned artists he admires, including The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Sturgill Simpson, Dawes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lissie, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Blind Melon, Steve Miller Band, Gov’t Mule, and The Doobie Brothers. His former band, Truth & Salvage Co., released two records on Sony’s Megaforce label, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, toured Iraq to perform for U.S. troops in 2009, turned down a gig with Phil Lesh for reasons unknown, and racked up 250,000 road miles in five years.
Kinnebrew’s songs are rooted in personal narrative, but stretch far beyond autobiography. By the time recording wrapped on Skyman, he felt like he could be telling anyone’s story. It became his very own “last great American novel,” an experience he hopes feels “cool like the rock you find on the beach that ends up on your dashboard.”
Today, Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of “Skyman,” a song that began as one in a series of bedroom demos and evolved into a fully realized ode to easeful living. As with the entire forthcoming LP Skyman, both the music and message feel intimate, layered, and expansive. Sure, the song’s an invitation to lighten your day by “just cruising,” “coasting,” and “grooving” along with the spacey vibes.
But Kinnebrew wants us to keep mindful, too—as he delicately points out, “Everything is perfect,” but “soon we’ll all be dying.” The song captures his radiant sound that is bright, infectious, and brimming with shimmering harmonies. Co-produced by Gary Jules (“Mad World” from the Donnie Darko soundtrack) and mixed by Bill Reynolds (Band of Horses, The Avett Brothers’ Emotionalism), Skyman weaves a vivid sonic landscape rich with the textures of rock, folk, country, blues, British invasion, R&B, and pop. It’s a brew that resists classification, as it lands somewhere between tradition and invention—what Kinnebrew thinks of as “sonic impressionism.”
Kinnebrew describes the inspiration and process behind the tune:
“Skyman” began as a late-night guitar riff in 2018 that lingered on the back burner until I picked it up again in 2024, recording a rough demo in my home studio on GarageBand. When longtime acquaintance Gary Jules (of “Mad World” fame) and I finally crossed paths in Asheville, he offered to add drums—and soon we were shaping song after song together, sending tracks off to producer Bill Reynolds, who brought the mixes to life.
The song itself is about embracing life as a veteran stoner: no ego, no competition, just enjoying the ride. Its magic lies in a spontaneous 12-string guitar hook and the tambourine groove that lifts it into flight.
LISTEN:
