Stellar Jays

Bittersweet but infused with a determined optimism, Stellar Jays bring a shine to their jangly Americana roots rock with sweet vocal harmonies and shimmering reverb. Crunchy blues leads dance with sparkling acoustic chords, while an in-the-pocket rhythm section drives the music forward. 

Brian Siems (vocals & guitars), Brian Besand (guitar & vocals), Bob Congleton (bass), Alison Perkins (keyboard & vocals) and Tim Schuringa (drums) came together in 2022 as the world emerged from pandemic-induced stasis. Originally hailing from Virginia, Texas, Washington and California, the quintet was born from the perpetually simmering Seattle alt-rock and Americana scene. 

Following the release of their first album ‘Early Winters’ in 2023 (“A superb debut album… Siems has an interesting somewhat world-weary voice that at times has echoes of Lou Reed and Jeff Tweedy” – Americana UK) and their 2024 EP ‘Mojave’ ("Stellar Jays tap into catchy West Coast Americana roots rock energy” – Music Mecca), the band is back with ‘Merit Badge,’ their second full length album and a solid collection of distinctive new songs. The group returned to the production team from their debut, recording and mixing with Don Farwell (Foo Fighters, Ginger Baker Trio) at Earwig Studio and mastering with Rachel Field (Pearl Jam, Brandi Carlile) at Resonant Mastering.

At its heart Merit Badge is a record about the ways relationships push, confuse, steady and reshape us. Across eight tracks Stellar Jays explore the first sparks, mixed signals, long‑distance longing, late‑night regrets, and conflicting perspectives that become turning points in our closest relationships. According to Siems, “You could call each song on ‘Merit Badge’ a kind of love song, and what I was trying to do with each is to capture a different facet of falling into, out of, or sideways in love.”  

The band threads these stories through ‘Merit Badge’ with their signature blend of Americana, alt‑country, and jangly roots rock, pulling imagery from cross‑state road trips, late‑night Seattle streets and the emotional corners we don’t always admit out loud. It’s also the band’s most sonically diverse record – touching everything from Tom Petty heartland rock to Son Volt’s electric alt‑country grit to hook‑driven indie rock in the early‑Killers vein – but the through‑line is clear: lived‑in stories about the relationships that leave a mark.

Stellar Jays remain anchored in their shared love of energetic, roots-leaning rock and roll, and Merit Badge captures the band at their most focused and adventurous. The album arrives Fall 2026 and the band is proud of where these songs landed – and where they’re headed next.