Alex Amen will release his debut album, Sun of Amen, on June 12th via ATO Records, he recently shared single/video, “Diamonds.” At 18, Amen moved from Texas to California to study filmmaking. After one semester he dropped out and moved onto the Dittman Family Commune, a commune with historic ties to the countercultural movements of the mid-60’s. It was here that he formed his first band in 2017 which broke up shortly after, resulting in Amen’s move from Southern California to the island of Vashon in Washington’s Puget Sound.

The next three years he spent in relative isolation, taking up various interests in mycology, mountaineering, poetry, and wooden boat building. As years passed, Amen felt the increasing need to return to California to pursue music. In January of 2023 he began self-producing his first EP The Zorthian Tapes (2025) in a self-built studio at the historic Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, California.

Sun of Amen was produced by Amen and engineered by Jonny Bell (Cage the Elephant, Chicano Batman). “With this album we were meticulous about creating something high-quality while recording in a more traditional way, which has its own challenges—older gear is temperamental, so sometimes we’d have to break for three hours because the tape machine caught on fire,” Amen comments.

Partly recorded at the legendary Valentine Recording Studios in L.A., Sun of Amen unfolds with a rich sonic depth achieved with the help of an expansive lineup of musicians, including several of Amen’s longtime bandmates as well as in-demand artists, including Tommy de Bourbon (a multi-instrumentalist who has played pedal steel in Lana Del Rey’s touring band). The single, “Diamonds,” is a wistful reflection on life and love gained and lost during his time in California. The accompanying video features footage of Alex rock climbing, his time in Vashon where he took up wooden boat building and his excursion sailing from Washington to Canada last summer.

Says Amen: “I think it’s important for everyone to have a physical connection with nature, partly because it creates more of a desire to make sure we’re not destroying the planet, but it’s also good for humans on every basic level to move and be outside,” he says. “It’s the same thing with music—I think I’ve been very blessed in the sense that music has always been something I’ve done because I love it; it’s never felt forced to me. I really just love the way it feels to play music, and I’ve found the more you chase it and live with an open heart, the more life brings you songs.”

In the past year, Amen has toured with Folk Bitch Trio, performed at festivals such as Pitchfork London & Paris, Newport Folk, Iceland Airwaves, Austin City Limits, Outside Lands, and also participated in the Americana Music Association’s annual GRAMMY Eve concert at the Troubadour to honor Neil Young. Fresh off performing at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion during this year’s SXSW, Amen will wrap up his month-long New York City residency at Night Club 101 next Tuesday, April 14. He’ll also perform at several festivals in the coming months including WXPN’s NON-COMMvention, Analog Reunion, Green River and Winnipeg Folk.

Alex Amen
Sun of Amen
Tracklist
ATO Records

1. Diamonds
2. Cabin By The Sea
3. Please Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
4. Peaches
5. Her Spirit Wanders
6. Memories of You
7. California Blues
8. Changes
9. April
10. Lonely People

Alex Amen Tour Dates:

Thu. May 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Radio NonComm Convention
Sat. May 16 – Healdsburg, CA @ Analog Reunion Festival
Sat. June 20 – Greenfield, MA @ Green River Festival
Wed. July 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom (w/ Kurt Vile and the Violators)
Fri. July 10 – Sun July 12 – Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Festival
Thu. Sept. 3 – Sun. Sept. 6 – Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival

Pre-Order Sun of Amen HERE