COMING SOON!!
The Air That You Breathe
the third chapter!
Patio Records and Lantzapalooza Muzik are releasing The Air That You Breathe on July 24, 2026. Patio Records is a community of talented and caring artists and Healing Garden Music Fests - all dedicated to the creation of natural healing environments for people undergoing the rigors of cancer treatments. Follow this link for more information:
BOSTON, MA/NASHVILLE, TN – Patio Records and Lantzapalooza Muzik are proud to announce the release of critically acclaimed Nashville-based singer-songwriter Lance Cowan's The Air That You Breathe, his 3rd solo album.
Cowan co-wrote seven of the 11 original songs on The Air That You Breathe with a talented lineup of collaborators, including Janis Ian ("When He Was Here"), David Mallett ("Closer To Truth"), friend and industry insider Karen Leipziger (the title track), frequent partner Terry Clayton ("Where'd They Go," "The One You Love," "The Road"), and Miguel Salas ("William Cooper Smith").
Produced by Scott Paschall and recorded at Nashville’s famed Sound Emporium, The Air That You Breathe features musicians Dan Dugmore (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), Pat McGrath (Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood), Dave Pomeroy (Don Williams, Elton John), Phil Madeira (Emmylou Harris, Phil Keaggy), Bryan Owings (Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams), Chip Davis (Alabama, Dolly Parton), Billy Davis (Dolly Parton, Don Williams), and Michael Spriggs (Kenny Rogers, Elton John). Mandolin master Sam Bush joined in on four songs, and celebrated Texan Jimmie Dale Gilmore lent his backing vocals to "William Cooper Smith."
Cowan’s 2024 debut, So Far, So Good, earned kudos from some very tough critics (including being named a “Top Ten Roots Album” in The Absolute
The Air That You Breathe
At A Glance
On The Air That You Breathe, Lance Cowan explores the things that sustain us when certainty fades: love, hope, memory, compassion, and the dreams we refuse to abandon. Written during a time of personal reflection and social upheaval, these songs examine both the intimate and the universal, finding grace in everyday lives and resilience in the human spirit.
The album opens with “Love,” a meditation on what remains when long-held beliefs are stripped away. From there, Cowan traces the lingering echoes of relationships in “Pieces of Love,” the struggles and dignity of those caught in political storms in “Where'd They Go,” and the quiet determination of dreamers in the title track, “The Air That You Breathe.”
Throughout the record, Cowan brings to life vivid characters and stories. “William Cooper Smith” unfolds like a classic American tale, while “The Road” explores the desperate choices poverty can force upon ordinary people. Songs such as “The One You Love,” “Be With You,” and “Home With You” celebrate enduring companionship, offering moments of warmth and gratitude shaped by a lifetime of experience.
The album also confronts loss and uncertainty. “Closer To Truth,” written with the late David Mallett, reflects on the tragedy of gun violence and the questions it leaves behind. “When He Was Here,” co-written with Janis Ian, looks back at absence and remembrance through a lens of bittersweet reflection.
Musically, The Air That You Breathe blends Americana, folk, bluegrass, and roots-rock influences, enriched by contributions from friends and collaborators including Sam Bush, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Dan Dugmore, Dave Pomeroy, Phil Madeira, Bryan Owings, Chip Davis, Michael Spriggs and Billy Davis. Guided by Producer Scott Paschall and with Grammy winning engineer, Matt Andrews, they create a collection that is both deeply personal and broadly resonant.
At its heart, The Air That You Breathe is an album about holding on to what matters most. It is a reminder that even in divided times, love remains our most reliable compass, our most enduring truth, and the very air that we breathe.
Sound magazine), as did his followup 2025 release, Against The Grain, which made the “Editors’ Favorite List for 2025” for SPIN Magazine.
“Last year, Lance Cowan proved that a veteran Americana PR man could make an album on par with those of his clients. This year, he proved that he could beat the sophomore slump. The mid-’70s country-rock instrumentation and vocal harmonies remain, but they’re at the service of sharper hooks, hooks that would’ve embedded themselves in the Top 40 back when millions were checking into the Hotel California.”
— SPIN Magazine Editors’ Favorite Albums of the Year / December 1, 2025
Cowan carves stories from the quiet moments others overlook. His music fuses Americana's raw edges with folk's intimacy and roots-rock's steady pulse, creating soundscapes where every note serves a purpose. His lyrics cut through sentimentality with surgical precision—conversational yet carefully crafted, revealing truths about relationships and identity through specific, unembellished details.
Cowan's songwriting demonstrates remarkable restraint, trusting listeners to find meaning in what's left unsaid as much as what's explicitly stated. Live performances showcase his understated mastery—no theatrics, just a man with a guitar creating space for songs to breathe. Cowan's work embodies a rare commitment to substance over style, proving that the most powerful stories don't need to shout to be heard.
The Air That You Breathe is set for worldwide digital & physical release in North America & Europe. It will be distributed in North America by CPI/The Orchard and in Europe by At The Helm/Proper.
