Leon Majcen

Won’t ya take a ride with me / On the road dog express / Where living ain’t easy / But life’s the best, sings Leon Majcen on his forthcoming album, ‘The Leaving Kind.’ Produced by Pat Lyons (Colter Wall, Sam Barber) and engineered by Sean Sullivan (Sturgill Simpson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sierra Hull), it’s a collection of rugged and romantic cowboy songs that trod on as earnestly as Majcen himself. “This music thing requires life to move a lot more quickly than it should, and racking up fifty thousand miles a year can take its toll,” he says. “But I wouldn’t trade the chance for anything.” In a wind-worn voice, over unpretentiously plucked guitars, Majcen sings of cheap motels, long highways, tackle shops, sinking suns, cokes, smokes, and postcards—you can nearly hear the dust kicking up around him.

And with all this sepia-tinted wayfaring, where is he headed? In 2025, Rolling Stone proclaimed Majcen “in the middle of a major career rise.” He’d toured with the likes of Margo Price, Trampled By Turtles, American Aquarium, and Turnpike Troubadours, putting borrowed spotlight to good use; audiences locked into his backroads balladry, a vagabondish blend of wit and grit frequently compared to Prine. Majcen’s prolific output—four albums in five years—gathered continuous acclaim and landed him on Holler. Magazine’s list of 20 Best New Country and Americana Artists for 2026, further solidifying his place in the modern Americana canon.

The son of Bosnian refugees, Majcen may gravitate toward an open road by instinct. But his childhood in Safety Harbor, Florida also instilled in him the power of a stabilizing base. He grew up on his father’s musical influence—Dylan, Kristofferson, Van Zandt—and received his first guitar as a Christmas gift at age nine. “My dad’s been a huge supporter of everything I’ve ever wanted to do, whether it was sports, the outdoors, or music. I’m thankful to have good folks.” This much is clear on “Long Way From Home,” Majcen’s strings-laden, emotional ode to the grounding power of family. Ain’t slipped up yet / Be a shame if I do / Because I’m a long way from home / And they still know my name. “Growing up as an immigrant, my whole life, I’ve watched my parents work jobs they hated,” says Majcen. “I think it’s why they always pushed me to chase my dreams. Getting to a position where I can help my family out has always been a big motivator.”