We Speak Folk

CM Talkington Opens a New Chapter With Feel It Inside Ahead of Year Of The Horse

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2026

CM Talkington, in a black hat and dark sunglasses, with collaborator Douglas Forrest, wearing glasses, looking upward outdoors

CM Talkington (right) with Douglas Forrest. Photo by Daniella Alcedo.

The filmmaker who gave Renée Zellweger her first leading role is back to his first love. CM Talkington’s Feel It Inside turns a decade-long collaboration, a cancer recovery and a search for inner awareness into the first single from Year Of The Horse, and it is out now.

Cult filmmaker-turned-singer/songwriter CM Talkington returns with his latest offering, “Feel It Inside,” the first single from his forthcoming album, Year Of The Horse. Written and recorded with his longtime neighbor and collaborator, Douglas Forrest, the track serves as a soundtrack for the “revelation revolution within,” marking the beginning of a new chapter in a creative partnership that spans more than a decade.

Rooted in themes of inner awareness and personal awakening, “Feel It Inside” reflects Talkington’s interest in looking beyond the forces that shape our perception of the world. The track captures a spirit of questioning and self-discovery, inviting listeners to reconnect with something deeper within themselves. Blending his introspective perspective with a psychedelic sensibility, Talkington frames this inward journey as the beginning of a broader personal revolution.

“Feel It Inside” was channeled directly from Source through the Sun. As above, so below, as within, so without. It’s a call to action. A marching song. A soundtrack for the “Revelation Revolution” coming from within & transforming without. I feel we captured that frequency/energy/vibration on this recording.” — Talkington

Year Of The Horse marks Talkington’s third album and his second full-length collaboration with Forrest, following Texas Radio. The pair began recording the project in 2014, during the Year of the Wood Horse, and will release it 12 years later in the Year of the Fire Horse. Recorded in 2019, shortly before Talkington was diagnosed with colon cancer, “Feel It Inside” captures a moment in a much longer creative and personal journey. Talkington performs the vocals and acoustic guitar, while Forrest plays four additional instruments and handles the track’s production and engineering. The album reflects a transformative period for both collaborators, shaped by Talkington’s recovery from cancer and Forrest’s experience of becoming a father.

Talkington first gained recognition as the writer and director of Love & A .45, the cult-favorite Western infused with psychedelic elements, starring Renée Zellweger in her first leading role alongside Peter Fonda, Rory Cochrane and Gil Bellows. Though filmmaking brought him recognition, music has long been a central part of his creative life, remaining largely private until 2020, when he began sharing it with the world. He released his debut album, Not Exactly Nashville, that year, followed by Texas Radio in 2023, which features vocals from Zellweger.

“Feel It Inside” by CM Talkington is out November 11, 2026 on all DSPs.

CM Talkington Bio:

While his career in the spotlight really took off nearly 30 years ago as the director of the cult film and Renée Zellweger vehicle Love and a .45, as well as a music video for The Reverend Horton Heat, one of the artists featured on that movie’s soundtrack, CM Talkington resurfaced a few years ago with his debut album Not Exactly Nashville, a sober and sobering look at the expansive time period between the two projects that saw him wandering the metaphorical desert through addiction, cancer, and other obstacles only to find himself again with the help of an acoustic guitar. — Kim March, FLOOD

Phil Pickens Closes Side A of Caution to the Wind With “Grandad’s Wine”

Published

2 days ago

November 13, 2026

We Speak Media

Phil Pickens peeking out from behind his acoustic guitar in a press portrait.

Indie folk singer-songwriter Phil Pickens releases “Grandad’s Wine” today, a nostalgic song about his grandparents and summers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia that closes Side A of his two-part album Caution to the Wind.

“It’s a thoughtful rootsy folk country break full of lyrical imagery and a candid vocal delivery.” — The Wild Is Calling

Some of us are lucky enough to have fond nostalgic memories of our grandparents – and what better time to reflect on family than the impending holiday season. Releasing today, indie folk pop singer-songwriter Phil Pickens reflects on these memories in his latest single, “Grandad’s Wine.” With an instantly cozy and beautifully percussive introduction that consoles like a warm cabin fireplace, “Grandad’s Wine” transports to a place of comfort and familiarity. In his ever-skillful lyrical prowess, Pickens’ way of telling his own story while making it sound universal is something special. “There’s nary a soul to prepare him for this / No lesson of God or science to teach a man to rest / Just hurts like hell and that’s the simple fact / He’s been sitting on the edge for his love to come back and take him home,” he sings with conviction. Somehow both easy on the ears yet softly anthemic, the feel-good swell of the chorus is magnetic, leaving the listener feeling sentimental and sonically satiated with a story of a bigger picture of a love that spans generations and hair color. The X-factor of the track may just lie in the subtle yet effective horns throughout.

“‘Grandad’s Wine’ is a song about my grandparents, their life together, and the summers I spent with them in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia,” Pickens states. “My grandfather made his own wine—fermented, aged, and far too sweet—and spoiled the grandkids with candy and loud toys while his grandmother quietly kept her secrets. The song holds onto those memories: a garden, a bottle of homemade wine, a box of childhood keepsakes, and the hope that, somewhere beyond this life, they found each other again.”

The new song is the fifth and final single from Side A of Pickens’ two-part album, Caution to the Wind, spanning 2026 and into 2027. Acting as its own EP, Side A unfolded this summer and fall with the songs “Gwinnett Mall,” “Walk Away,” “Perfect Work of Art,” “Lovesick,” and now “Grandad’s Wine.” Regarding the unique two-part project as a whole, Pickens says, “I wrote all of these songs at different times in my life, so releasing them one at a time felt closer to how they originally arrived to me. Rather than putting everything out at once, I wanted to let each song have its own moment and unfold throughout the year. That felt more intentional and meaningful to me.” Reuniting with Grammy Award-winning producer James Frazee, Pickens approached Caution to the Wind with patience, building it from the ground up. Tracked live with a focus on feel over polish, the album explores memory, relationships, longing, resilience, and the quiet ways we keep moving forward.

About Phil Pickens

Phil Pickens writes songs that find meaning in ordinary moments, whose lyrics balance intimate storytelling with warm, organic arrangements. Raised outside Atlanta and now based in New York City, the indie folk-rock songwriter pairs poetic storytelling with warm, organic arrangements that linger long after the final note, emulating his heroes in John Prine, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell to name a few. Notable accolades include being selected by WFUV and NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest as one of New York City’s Top 3 Bands, and having performed at the Gibson Guitars New York showroom (formerly The Hit Factory studios). He’s also had former residencies at Pete’s Candy Store and Rockwood Music Hall, and was featured in tribute nights at Joe’s Pub and C’mon Everybody. He’s maintained a regular presence on stages including the Knitting Factory, Littlefield, Bowery Palace, and Union Hall, making a name for himself among the Big Apple’s indie scene. His previous releases include his debut album, Cathedrals, released in 2017, along with strings of singles since. Rolling out as a two-part release across 2026 and 2027, Caution to the Wind is a record about finding meaning in ordinary moments, remembering where we’ve been, and recognizing the people who help us keep moving forward.