Colorado-born Nashvillian Jobi Riccio is learning lessons and feeling it all on her second record, Face the Feeling. The indie folk/Americana singer-songwriter has made a big splash in a short time. In the wake of her 2023 debut Whiplash, she’s been adopted into the vast legacy of John Prine, performing at tribute shows like the massive Songwriters Celebrate John Prine tribute at D.C.-area venue Wolf Trap in June and being awarded the John Prine Songwriter’s Fellowship by the Newport Folk Festival (where she’s performed multiple times).
Yep Roc released Face the Feeling in May. The record grapples with the disillusionment of one’s 20s, toward your own place in life and the state of the world left for you to inherit. It’s a different kind of angst than the teenage variety, a little more weathered but no less deeply felt. Face the Feeling has a rougher sonic edge than Riccio’s past work, taking inspiration from a Southern indie-rock sound, but its core is soft and tender. Whatever feeling comes up, be it malaise (“Love of the Song”), heartbreak (“A Little at a Time”), bitterness (“Buzzkill”), or rejection (“High Beam”), Riccio knows the only way out is right through it.
Riccio has an extensive slate of tour dates that includes shows in the U.K. and Europe in October before a return Stateside, though no Nashville dates are on the calendar. Find Face the Feeling at your favorite record shop, on your favorite streaming service or on Bandcamp, and keep up with Riccio via her Instagram profile.
