Matthew Houck of Phosphorescent, which plays Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida on Aug. 2, 2024. Credit: Photo by Curtis Wayne Millard

Verve Records is a complete vibe these days. The label is home to gifted young talent like Samara Joy, Kurt Vile and Jon Batiste, but also a lodestar that’s brought music fans records from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dizzy Gillespie and the Duke.

Add Matthew Houck to that list.

The 44-year-old songwriter and leader of Phosphorescent released a new album, Revelator, last April. Recorded in Nashville with bandmate-pianist-partner Jo Schornikow along with Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Jim White of Dirty Three, Phosphorescent’s first batch of new music in six years is less abstract in its lyrical matter and directly addresses Houck’s mental state as he grapples with sadness, madness, and growing tired of trying to be that guy (often in one song).

Tickets to see Phosphorescent open for The Head and the Heart at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg on Friday, Aug. 2 are sold-out.

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