It’s always satisfying to hear artists incorporate local flavors once they relocate to a new musical hub. For Pittsburgh-born, Philly-braised songwriter Jac Carson, a move to Austin meant patting down his cut of blues-alt-rock with spices of cosmic country and neo-soul into a style he’s dubbed “New Texas Groove”. Even in light of the setbacks that came with COVID, Carson and his backing band Jac With No K have enjoyed a bevy of shows in the Live Music Capital since they arrived in 2020, not to mention plenty of national performances on the road.

Speaking of which, right now Jac With No K is on a Northwest/Eastern-Midwest tour in promotion of their 5th EP (and first written in Texas), Imaginary Lovers. Far from a mere figment, these four tracks pack a wallop compared to what you’d expect from a handful of “love songs”. Imaginary Lovers dropped last Friday and Jac With No K returns in a couple weeks with several free live shows. Thursday, July 21st at El Mercado South, Saturday, July 23rd at The Lucky Duck, Saturday, July 30th at The Drafting Room, and noon to 2pm every Monday and Thursday at Friends Bar. So celebrate the band’s latest set of travels in person or with a one-way ticket to the Mediterranean courtesy of Imaginary Lovers‘ penultimate crowd-pleaser, “Morocco”.