Today, Yacht Rock Revue, dubbed the “world’s premier soft-rock party band” by Rolling Stone, delivered Disc 2 of their ambitious 21-track concept album Escape Artist. Now fully released across four sides of vinyl, the project highlights Yacht Rock Revue’s evolution into something far greater than a tribute act.
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Disc 1 of the project was released on September 6, offering a glimpse into this pioneering collection. The album blends the band’s distinct style with the classic yacht rock vibe, capturing waves of emotion and paying homage to the vinyl era. It’s a sun-soaked journey back to the anthems of the ’70s and ’80s.
Escape Artist explores the desire to escape modern society, using music as a tool to break away from the worries of daily life. “Look out in the crowd and imagine what each person is escaping from. They’re escaping the modern condition to the idea of a less complicated time,” explains Yacht Rock Revue’s lead vocalist, Nicholas Niespodziani. “We see it every night on the road — an audience transported somewhere else. We are Escape Artists. That’s our magic trick.”
“Of course, there’s the literal layer — I want to escape the confines of what our band is supposed to be,” Nicholas continues. “Are we allowed to be artists, or are we trapped by a genre? We’ve always been pushing the envelope, going where no band like ours has gone before. I want it to be OK for us to express optimism and sadness and fear and vulnerability. I want to escape the caricature that defines us. The Escape Artist song lyrics tell that story.”
Jed Gottlieb of The Boston Herald praised, “Yacht Rock Revue excels at escapism. If you want to steal away into the night or are in need of a cool change, Yacht Rock Revue is your band. But the members of the group aren’t just the world’s greatest AM gold and Top 40 band; they are artists… The album’s song titles evoke classic yacht themes… The lyrics have an introspection, an existentialism… The arrangements and production have as much in common with indie acts Animal Collective and the Flaming Lips as Boz Scaggs (so dreamy, so shimmery)… That incongruous mix of pop and angst pushes Escape Artist to be a great album.”
Above: Yacht Rock Revue; Credit: Perry Julien Photography
The latest release from Yacht Rock Revue features a rich collection of singles showcasing their signature yacht rock sound. Previous single “Bad Decisions” (released November 1) kicks off with a slinky bassline dripping in groove, tight and rhythmic, locking in with crisp snare hits and a punchy guitar riff. As the groove unfolds, it starts to shimmer with David Bowie-esque glam, weaving in spacey synths and a haunting, atmospheric vocal delivery. Preceding “Bad Decisions,” the band delivered the groovy “San Junipero (Every Night Like Tonight)” on October 4.
The August 9 release included a double single featuring “Waves” and “Sail On.” “Waves,” with its gentle synthesizers and steady bassline, features ethereal vocals from Kourtney Jackson that navigate lyrics about life’s ebbs and flows. Meanwhile, “Sail On” offers a Caribbean-inspired melody and island ambiance, with Peter Olson delivering reflective lyrics about simple life lessons.
Prior to this, the band released “Lost in the Meantime” and “Steal Away” on July 12. Nicholas describes “Lost in the Meantime” as a tribute to the understated yet profound moments in relationships, while “Steal Away,” a cover of Robbie Dupree’s 1980 hit, has been praised by Dupree himself for its fresh and delightful take. The album also features the lead singles “Tropical Illusion” and “Passengers,” which debuted on May 24, landing the band the cover of Spotify’s Yacht Rock Revival playlist. “Tropical Illusion,” co-written by Elliot Lurie of Looking Glass and Nicholas Niespodziani, pays homage to Looking Glass’s classic “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).”
ESCAPE ARTIST TRACK LISTING:
DISC 1:
Escape Artist
Make You Miss Me
Separate Grooves
Waves
Reverse Sunset
Lost in the Meantime
Sail On
Steal Away (Robbie Dupree Cover)
Tropical Illusion (feat. Elliot Lurie)
Passengers
DISC 2:
Triangle of Combustion
Lonely for You
Inverse Sunrise
San Junipero (Every Night Like Tonight)
Things Look Different
Monkeys Always Swinging
Bad Decisions
Worse Decisions
Here for the Feeling
Four in the Morning
What a Year
The band spent the summer redefining the limits of what a cover band can achieve during their 45-city tour with Train and REO Speedwagon as direct support on the Summer Road Trip 2024 Tour. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Yacht Rock Revue’s Nicholas Niespodziani and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin shared their enthusiasm for the tour. Additionally, Yacht Rock Revue offered an exclusive peek into life on the road with a candid tour diary for V13, while Music Connection featured the band with tips on “How to Be Original in a Cover Band.”
Sarah Bahr of The New York Times reported her first-hand experience of Yacht Rock Revue’s liberating on-stage energy, observing fans who “danced for two hours to tunes from the 1970s and ’80s,” while Entertainment Weekly noted that “the shows tend to be unabashedly joyous affairs.”
Looking ahead, Yacht Rock Revue is gearing up for a handful of headlining shows after wrapping up the 2024 tour with Train and REO Speedwagon. The group will join Train once again on the high seas in 2025, performing aboard the sold-out Sail Across the Sun cruise from February 13–17 — marking their latest return to this beloved lineup.
