Truman Sinclair has shared Rivers of Sugar and Blood – his first EP for Capitol Records/Polydor Label Group, and the follow-up to American Recordings (his acclaimed 2025 debut album). The self-taught musician, who began writing and performing at age eight, wrote, produced and recorded each of the EP’s six songs and plays many of the instruments.
“Rivers of Sugar and Blood is about depression and ups and downs and how the actions taken in those moments affect friendships and life,” explains Truman Sinclair. “I think it is so hard to simply keep your head these days.”
Sinclair’s slack vocals, cinematic storytelling and raw yet fully realised recording approach shine on new track, ‘dust to dust’. Blending warmth with clear-eyed candour, he sings, “Driving in the desert going 135 / I can feel the anger right behind your eyes / You got a palace built in your mind / You can be mean / You hurt me sometimes.” Trumanadds, “‘dust to dust’ is a song about growing up and watching friends around you win and lose, and the tenderness and coldness that comes with that.”
Rivers of Sugar and Blood includes Truman Sinclair’s acclaimed recent singles, ‘dustland’ and ‘sugar’, which also saw multiple plays across BBC Radio 1. Elsewhere on the EP, ‘river of blood’ contemplates the last years that a heartbreak can trigger, if rage is allowed to fester; with compassion, the poignant ‘chemical smile’ evokes a friend’s battle with mental illness, and the sense of wholeness they experience just before their meds kick in. Punctuated by a mournful harmonica, the poetic ‘sam & marylou’ considers our place in the universe.
In the lead-up to the release ofRivers of Sugar and Blood, Truman Sinclair played a hotly tipped residency at Los Angeles’ iconic Silverlake Lounge. He has now been confirmed to open for Tyler Ballgame around the UK and Europe in April, including a London date at Scala on April 29th. This week he was also announced as a special guest on Courtney Barnett’s upcoming North American tour, which kicks off on May 1st in Austin.
Aged 23 years old, Truman Sinclair cut his teeth in Chicago’s emo and metal scenes. After moving to Laurel Canyon at 14, he developed a deep connection to folk music, heartland rock and lyric-driven songwriting. He played with the alternative act Fat, Evil Children and founded the beloved emo outfit Frat Mouse. From his bedroom studio, Sinclair recorded and produced all four of the latter band’s LPs, while honing his skills across 300+ live gigs. His attention to craft also earned him work as an assistant engineer to GRAMMY®-winning producer Dave Sardy (Johnny Cash, Oasis, Slayer).
Sinclair’s independently released debut album American Recordings solidified his solo star status and showcased his striking talent for crafting and performing songs that feel as achingly earnest as they do worthy of playing on repeat. Watch his “Jam in the Van,” which includes moving performances of ‘Joel Roberts’ and ‘Bloodline’ from American Recordings and ‘dustland’ from Rivers of Sugar and Blood. As The Line of Best Fit put it in a recent “On The Rise” feature, Truman Sinclair “draws from American history and tradition in a way that’s neither nostalgic nor patriotic. It’s literal and lived, not a denim jacket he shrugs on.”
Rivers of Sugar and Blood
‘river of blood’
‘ chemical smile’
‘dust to dust’
‘dustland’
‘sugar’
‘sam & marylou’
Photo Credit: Ryan Gomez