We Speak Music
Stephen Sol & The 7 Share A Stunning EP Debut ‘Sunshine Wine’
Sunshine Wine is a debut EP that feels less like an introduction and more like a revelation. Washington D.C.’s Stephen Sol & The 7 arrive fully formed, armed with an expansive sound that blends folk-rock intimacy with the electricity of a nine-piece band. From the opening title track, it’s clear this is a project concerned with joy, reflection, and connection, all delivered with a warmth that makes the record feel instantly familiar.
The EP thrives on its dualities: it is nostalgic yet fresh, gentle yet powerful, intimate yet cinematic. Tracks like “Forever Changed” highlight the group’s ability to strip down to raw emotion, while “Spring (I Made It)” showcases their energy in full flight, driving forward with alternative grit and resilience.
Perhaps the most impressive achievement is how cohesive the project feels. Each of the five tracks exists as its own moment but contributes to a larger arc — one that takes listeners through love, heartbreak, rebirth, and celebration. The thoughtful sequencing mirrors the natural cycles of the seasons, grounding the music in something universal.
Vocalist Stephen Sol anchors the record with a delivery that is at once earnest and theatrical, inviting comparisons to both folk storytellers like Bob Dylan and genre-benders like Bo Burnham. Layered harmonies, brass flourishes, and gospel-tinged backing vocals elevate the sound into something much bigger than the sum of its parts.
As debut statements go, Sunshine Wine is bold, heartfelt, and utterly captivating. It’s an EP that doesn’t just showcase potential — it proves Stephen Sol & The 7 are already a band worth paying serious attention to.
We Speak Music
Mark Winters and Son Co-Write New Single “Can I Rise” — A Song About Roots, Identity, and Becoming (out on June 5, 2026)
A reflective new release exploring the balance between inheritance and choice, written across generations.
Texas-based singer-songwriter Mark Winters returns with “Can I Rise,” a thoughtful and emotionally resonant new single co-written with his son. Together, they explore one of life’s most enduring questions: Are we defined by the lives we inherit, or by the paths we choose to create?
Built around the refrain “Can I rise / Will my roots hold me down,” the song lives in the tension between earth and sky, past and possibility. It reflects on family, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to step forward while carrying the weight of where we come from.
“This song started as a personal reflection,” says Mark Winters. “But writing it with my son gave it a completely new dimension. It became a conversation between generations — not just about where we come from, but about what we do with that inheritance.”
That generational lens runs through the song’s imagery: a father’s discipline, a mother’s restless spirit, a grandmother’s poetic skies, and a grandfather’s steady hands. Through it all, “Can I Rise” becomes not just a question of identity, but a shared exploration — how each generation both carries and reshapes the one before it.
Musically, the track blends Winters’ signature elements — poetry, science, and positivity — with a grounded, open-air sound rooted in Americana and rock. His background as an aerospace engineer continues to shape the language of motion, lift, and trajectory, while the songwriting partnership adds a fresh emotional perspective.
The result is a sound that feels both timeless and evolving — echoing the storytelling clarity of Tom Petty, the introspective guitar work of John Mayer, and the uplifting spirit of Jason Mraz.
Winters also credits his grandmother, Dean C. Winters, as his lifelong poetry pal and muse, whose influence can be felt in the song’s imagery and emotional depth.
Rather than offering answers, “Can I Rise” invites listeners into the question itself. Can we honor our roots without being held down by them? Can we carry forward what matters while still choosing our own direction?
With this release, Mark Winters and his son deliver a song that is both deeply personal and widely relatable — a reminder that the journey of becoming is something we don’t take alone.
“Can I Rise” will be available on all major streaming platforms on June 5.
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