San Francisco roots collective Back Porchestra returns with Stories In The Heart, a warm, road-worn album that leans into rich acoustic tones while freely bending genres without ever breaking the feel. Built around a mostly unplugged framework, the record draws from country blues, roots rock, Zydeco, Tex-Mex, New Orleans rhythms, Motown soul, singer-songwriter traditions, and even Brazilian textures, all woven together with an easy confidence that sounds earned, not assembled.
Back pOrchEstra released its 2nd album, "Stories In the Heart": A broad range of Roots Rock and the American Roots styles that inspired it: country blues, Cajun, Zydeco, Tex Mex, rockabilly, Singer-Songwriter, New Orleans, indie rock and even Brazilian music.
West Coast American roots outfit with rich acoustic tones, Back pOrchEstra, continues its foray into fresh yet retro genre-blending and genre-bending with a broad range of original and historic music featuring the stellar SF Bay Areans: Candy Girard (Delaney Bramlet, Tanya Tucker, Clint Black, Jerry Garcia) on violin, Gary Potterton (NRPS, Texas Chainsaw) on guitar and dobro, Tim Eschliman (Etta James, The Blues Project, Commander Cody & His Western Airmen, Jesse Colin Young, The Christmas Jug Band) on vocals & resonator guitar, Bowen Brown (John Lee Hooker, Tommy Castro, Rhythmtown-Jive) on drums, Beau Beaullieu (California Honeydrops, Gator Beat) on bass plus special guest Kathy Kennedy (Big Bang Beat, Smokey Robinson) on vocals, Vicki Randle (The Tonight show band under Jay Leno) on percussion, Austin deLone on piano, Mingo Lewis Jr (Vinyl) on percussion.
Two of the tracks on this 12-song set feature the dual artistry of Back pOrchEstra and The Christmas Jug Band. The Christmas Jug Band personnel is: Ken "Snakebite" Jacobs (New Orleans Nighcrawlers, Frankie Ford), Gregory Leroy Dewey (Country Joe & The Fish, Marty Balin), Paul Rogers, and Blake Richardson.
"Stories In The Heart" features 9 originals or original arrangements and 3 covers from Big Al Anderson (NRBQ), Waylon Jennings and Don Gibson.
Produced by Tim Eschliman (The Christmas Jug Band, Rhythmtown-Jive, New Copasetics, The Moonlighters). Asst engineer: Ed "Skip" Sitkin.
Mastered by Ann-Marie Suenram, Suenram Mastering, using George Horn's Neumann VMS 66 disc-cutting lathe (Fantasy Studios), who interned with George Horn for years.
Back Porchestra returns with Stories In The Heart, a warm, mostly unplugged roots record that blends country blues, New Orleans swing, Tex-Mex, and soul. - Vince's Hot Picks (Best of 2026)
Tim Eschliman
At the core is Tim Eschliman, whose seasoned vocals and resonator guitar bring gravity and grit shaped by years sharing stages with artists like Etta James and Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen. He’s surrounded by a Bay Area roots dream team: Bowen Brown on drums, Candy Girard on violin, Beau Beaullieu on bass, and Gary Potterton on guitar and dobro. Together, they give Stories In The Heart its loose swing and lived-in chemistry, favoring feel over flash and letting the songs unfold naturally.
Cast
The album’s extended cast adds even more depth. Guest vocals from Kathy Kennedy bring a touch of classic soul lineage tied to Smokey Robinson, while percussionist Vicki Randle, known for her work with Jay Leno’s Tonight Show band, adds subtle rhythmic color. Piano from the late Austin de Lone and additional percussion from Mingo Lewis Jr. round out a sound that feels expansive without ever getting crowded.
Backstory
What sets Stories In The Heart apart is its sense of balance. Resonator guitar, violin, bass, drums, percussion, dobro, and Telecaster create a flexible, roots-forward palette that allows Back Porchestra to move between styles fluidly. The songs echo traditions without reenacting them, keeping one foot in the past and the other firmly planted in the present.
As Americana Highway’s Jeff Burger observed, Back Porchestra evokes artists across decades and genres, sharing DNA with bands like Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks and Asleep at the Wheel. With Stories In The Heart, they prove that roots music still thrives when it stays curious, collaborative, and grounded in the simple power of great players trusting the song."
Back pOrchEstra... a group of just phenomenal musicians -new album is kinda bluesy, Americana, country, rockin', ..check out "I'm Wild About My Lovin'" .. I love how the fiddle is used on this track" - Payton Burdette from Real Roots Radio
This album is a follow up to the "Voices In My Head (Genre Whiplash)" album... a Top 100 Album at Alt. Country Specialty Chart.
