Dewey Kincade Shares Latest 20-Track Album "The Dark Ages"

For Dewey Kincade, music has always been inseparable from life, even when it seemed far out of reach. After years in New York City pursuing a record deal and building bands, he left with his wife and newborn daughter for Louisville, Kentucky. Family responsibilities and the demands of work replaced the relentless chase for industry recognition. Though the spotlight dimmed, songwriting never stopped. Out of that quieter but difficult period came the material that forms, "The Dark Ages", a 20-track album that reflects on disappointment, perseverance, and the unexpected beauty found in everyday life.

The title captures the mood of those years—marked by uncertainty, cultural disillusionment, and the weight of unmet expectations, yet the record is not defined by despair. Instead, it explores how moments of joy and renewal can surface in ordinary places. Kincade frames the collection as a meditation on what follows when youthful ambitions fade, and how resilience and meaning can still be uncovered in the process.

Recorded entirely in his own studio, the album benefits from the steady hand of Grammy-nominated Andrew McKenna Lee, who co-produced, mixed, and mastered the project. Lee’s involvement ensures clarity and cohesion without sanding down the edges of Kincade’s raw, heartfelt performances. The artwork, created by Jennifer Kincade, reinforces the personal nature of the release, tying the project back to the family life that shaped it.

Musically, "The Dark Ages", moves with ease across styles. Acoustic Folk pieces sit alongside Funk-driven grooves, bursts of Punk energy, and melodic Pop accessiblity. This range keeps the extended tracklist fresh, while underscoring the emotional variety at the album’s core. Darkness and doubt appear, but they are balanced by humor, rhythm, and brightness. By the closing songs, the record feels transformed—less like a chronicle of struggle and more like a testament to persistence.

The presence of Louisville’s vibrant music community deepens the album. This release features the latest lineup of The Navigators—Glen Howerton, Tim Halcomb, Woody Woodmansee, Mike Snowden, and Tonya Buckler—joined by Fellow Travelers Danny Flanigan, Steve Sizemore, and Jordan Berger. Louisville staples including Steve Cooley, Kimmet Cantwell, Meredith Noel, Leigh Anne Yost, Small Batch Brass, and Donna Mason contribute as well, along with younger voices such as Sam Yost and Kincade’s daughter Penelope. That mixture of collaborators gives the album a communal spirit, extending Kincade’s personal reflections into something broader.

Lyrically, the songs are candid without being heavy-handed. Kincade writes from the perspective of a father and working man rather than a career musician, which lends the material a grounded honesty. Dreams deferred and ambitions altered surface throughout, but so do images of family and glimpses of everyday grace. The result is writing that feels lived-in rather than constructed for effect.

With twenty tracks, "The Dark Ages", could easily feel excessive, but careful sequencing prevents fatigue. Early songs dwell in heavier tones, setting up the weight of the record’s themes. As it progresses, arrangements grow livelier, melodies more playful, and rhythms looser, suggesting a gradual shift from shadow toward light. The arc makes the listening experience rewarding, as if the album itself embodies the renewal Kincade discovered while creating it.

What stands out most is the clarity of purpose. Kincade is not aiming for charts or industry validation. Instead, he delivers an honest account of life beyond youthful dreams, offering songs that speak to persistence, community, and the value of continuing to create. That sincerity makes, "The Dark Ages", resonate. In the end, the album is both personal document and universal reflection. It shows how music can remain vital even outside of traditional career paths, and how meaning can be found in unexpected chapters. Dewey Kincade’s, "The Dark Ages", proves that even in difficult seasons, art can illuminate a way forward.