Ruston Kelly’s had a pretty good run the last few years. His most recent full-length Dying Star—a collection of endlessly tuneful folk-rock songs about being a fuck-up—was one of the very best albums of 2018. It also helped expand his fanbase considerably, as evidenced by his bump up from Bunk Bar (last November) to Wonder Ballroom this time through town. And… oh yeah, he married Kacey Musgraves, who used marital bliss as fuel for her mega-smash-hit album Golden Hour, which carried her to a new level of superstardom. Musgraves is great, of course, but don’t sleep on Kelly, whose songs display a unique sense of melody and ultra-relatable lyrics. For his next act, he’s releasing an EP of emo covers!

by Ben Salmon