We Speak Music

Nathan Bryce and Loaded Dice Release “Gone Since Texas”

Published

2 months ago

May 22, 2026

Emily

Nathan Bryce and Loaded Dice have released “Gone Since Texas” and the setup alone grabbed me. An email between Bryce and Crockett. A dragonfly pin. A Texas show where someone was already leaving before they actually left. That’s the real story here, and the song doesn’t waste energy pretending it’s anything bigger or more dramatic than what it is. One person still in the moment while the other is already gone. That disconnect, that awful asymmetry of heartbreak, is what makes this track work.

Crockett wrote the lyrics on a flight, and you can feel that immediacy in every line. She nailed how it actually feels when you realize the ending started way before either person said it out loud. “I’m in misery, while she’s in Missouri” hits exactly right because it’s specific and plain and true. No flourish needed.

The music lets the story breathe. Bryce’s vocals have this restrained quality that matters more than anything showy would. The guitar work pulls from blues and Southern rock but never overstates the moment. It’s the kind of arrangement that trusts the song to land, and it does. Everything feels earned because nothing is forced.

After spending years on high-energy blues-driven material, Bryce and Loaded Dice have clearly found something deeper in their writing. They’re not abandoning what made their live shows work, but they’re bringing real emotional weight to it now. “Gone Since Texas” proves they can do both at once. It’s a song that matters because it came from somewhere true, and they didn’t mess it up by trying too hard.

Listen to it in full here.

We Speak Music

The Songs of Butler & Cupples Prioritise Craft on Intimate New Single ‘Better off Lost’

Published

5 days ago

July 3, 2026

Brett Wylie

Following the momentum of their first three breakout releases earlier this year, genre-fluid project The Songs of Butler & Cupples have returned with ‘Better off Lost’. A stripped-back, intimate offering that further sharpens their songcraft-first ethos, the release reinforces the duo’s position as one of the most forward-thinking, emerging songwriting projects operating outside the traditional band framework.

Conceived entirely as a vehicle where pure songcraft remains the central focus, The Songs of Butler & Cupples was formed in direct response to a contemporary music landscape increasingly shaped by image, algorithms, and visual perception rather than musical composition.

Led by two highly experienced industry songwriters, the project is intentionally fluid. It allows musical ideas to dictate their own final form without being restricted by rigid genre conventions or commercial chart expectations. With ‘Better off Lost’, the pair turn inward, embracing an acoustic-led direction underpinned by Americana-leaning textures and delicate, emotive vocal arrangements.

Sonically, the track marks a further evolution in their rapidly expanding creative palette. Built around a gentle acoustic guitar foundation, ‘Better off Lost’ foregrounds vulnerability and vocal performance above all else. The raw emotional delivery is elevated by subtle, layered harmonies and understated pop sensibilities that give the track its modern, polished edge.

The duo’s stylistic range has already drawn comparisons to boundary-pushing artists such as Miley Cyrus and Kacey Musgraves, whose recent celebrated works have helped reframe contemporary Americana within the broader pop landscape. Like those icons, Butler & Cupples demonstrate a versatile range that fiercely resists easy categorization.

Across their 2026 discography, they have proven comfortable shifting between entirely different sonic worlds, including: Electronic-Leaning Production: Utilising sleek, modern digital textures. Experimental & Rock Influence: Embracing grittier, guitar-driven edge and unpredictable structures. Acoustic Minimalism: As heard on the new single, proving that a strong emotional through-line remains intact regardless of the instrumentation.

Rather than chasing viral TikTok trends or tailoring their masters for playlist algorithms, the project remains deeply rooted in strong structural songwriting, genuine emotional resonance, and absolute creative freedom.

At its core, The Songs of Butler & Cupples functions as an open creative framework without built-in limitations or outside expectations. ‘Better off Lost’ stands as another clear statement of intent from the duo: that well-crafted songs, when given proper breathing room and unfiltered honesty, still possess the power to cut through the modern noise.