John Mailander’s Forecast is thrilled to announce their new album, Let The World In, set for independent release on January 24, 2025, and available on CD, vinyl, and digitally. Forecast is a Nashville-based collective of visionary musicians led by acclaimed performer, producer, composer, educator, and recording artist John Mailander, celebrated for his distinct voice on the fiddle, mandolin, and other stringed instruments.

Originally formed for the live debut of John’s 2019 album, Forecast, the group embraced the name for a series of residency shows in Nashville. John Mailander’s Forecast has since cultivated a dedicated following through adventurous improvisations, unique collaborations, and joyful, genre-blending musical explorations.

Forecast’s lineup features John Mailander on fiddle, keys, and electronics; Ethan Jodziewicz on upright and fretless electric bass; Chris Lippincott on steel guitars, keys, and electronics; Mark Raudabaugh on drums and percussion; Jake Stargel on acoustic guitar; and David Williford on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet.

Let The World In is the spiritual third in a trilogy of “Forecast” records and the second “true” album as a band, following 2021’s Look Closer, which was recorded during the pandemic. “A few years of honing our sound as a live band with monthly shows at Dee’s Lounge helped us solidify ourselves as a band,” says Mailander. The album marks a crossover from jazz into the jam band world, particularly with the first single, Nick Drake’s “Road” (out December 6).

While Look Closer was introspective and contemplative, recorded in a time of isolation, Let The World In explores broader themes. John shares, “It's the heaviest record I've made in terms of sound design, and I hope it flows together as one continuous listening experience that blends rock, jazz, psychedelic, and Americana flavors.”

Mailander continues, “This album is deeply connected to larger themes in both my personal life and the world over the past couple of years: political stress, the overwhelming reentry into life post-lockdown, and the search for inner peace through it all. The music is my way of expressing all of this, while remaining open to personal interpretations.”

In addition to “conducting” Forecast, Mailander is a member of Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers and has recorded with artists like Billy Strings (including on the Grammy-winning album Home), Noah Kahan, Joy Williams, Lucy Dacus, Molly Tuttle, Joe K. Walsh, Chatham County Line, and more. He is also currently touring with the Sam Grisman Project.

“Playing with Bruce’s band over the past seven years has been incredibly inspiring and has driven me to embrace bandleading and share the Forecast project. Although fiddle has always been my primary instrument, I’ve recently fallen in love with the piano, largely through listening to Bruce night after night. As a compositional tool, the piano has opened many new creative avenues—most of the songs on this album were composed at home on the piano,” says Mailander.

Mailander began playing music in 2001 in San Diego, attended Berklee College of Music in Boston from 2009 to 2013, and has been a touring musician since 2012. After releasing a solo progressive bluegrass album in 2014, he moved to Nashville in 2015 and began working on the debut Forecast record in 2017 with new Nashville collaborators. This third album in the Forecast series showcases a larger vision and diverse sound design, embodying the band’s unique explorations.

Let The World In is designed as a complete listening experience. The album features nine tracks, including four shorter free improvisations; all tracks but “Road” are original instrumentals. Produced by Mailander, it was recorded by Brook Sutton at The Studio Nashville, assisted by Will Tyson and Maeve Graham, mixed by Daniel Rice, and mastered by Wayne Pooley. Recorded February 11-14, 2024. Play it loud.

Let The World In Track Listing & Credits:

(open) (0:18)
Let The World In (6:52)
Gardener (4:40)
(improvisation 1) (1:15)
Chapters (2:55)
Heartland (6:22)
(improvisation 2) (1:44)
Road (9:25)
(reprise) (1:47)

Forecast members:
John Mailander - Fiddle, Wurlitzer, Piano, Vocals on "Road," Glockenspiel, Magnus Chord Organ, OP-1, Electronics/Pedal Effects Loops
Ethan Jodziewicz - Upright and Fretless Electric Bass
Chris Lippincott - Pedal Steel Guitar, Piano, Electronics/Pedal Effects
Mark Raudabaugh - Drums and Percussion
Jake Stargel - Acoustic Guitar
David Williford - Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Woodwinds

Special Guests on Let The World In:
The “Let The World In Sound Freedom Expressionists”: Hannah Delynn, Maya De Vitry, Gibb Droll, Ella Korth, Lindsay Lou, Royal Masat

Let The World In will be released on January 24, 2025, as a Nine Athens Music project.

Graphic design by Madalyn Stefanak
Cover artwork: “Changing Skies” by Megan Lightell
John Mailander galaxy solo photo by Michael Weintrob

Pre-order on Bandcamp → johnmailander.bandcamp.com/album/let-the-world-in
Pre-save Let The World In → ffm.to/lettheworldin
Pre-save the first single, “Road” → ffm.to/road-single

For more information and updates, please visit:
www.johnmailander.com
www.facebook.com/johnmailandermusic
www.instagram.com/johnmailander