Photo by Garrick Schmitt
My Politic is an indie-Folk duo created by Kaston Guffey And Nick Pankey. The two of them grew up in the Ozarks & have been performing as My Politic for over 15 years. Across 10 releases, their body of work consistently showcases engaging slice-of-life storytelling, expertly crafted characters, highly skilled acoustic instrumentation & sibling like harmonies. Most recently, My Politic has joined other folk troubadours, Adeem The Artist & Margo Cilker on tours through the south and midwest and have a co bill tour with Jaimee Harris scheduled for may of 2025.. They also made their Woody Guthrie Folk Festival debut in July of 2023. The duo has plans to release a new album, "Signs of Life" on May 23rd 2025. "My Politic has a style of intimate songwriting that is often reminiscent of the late great John Prine." - Nashville Scene - The duo is always busy writing new music and touring the U.S.
On My Politic's upcoming album Signs Of Life, the acclaimed indie-folk duo comprised of Kaston Guffey and Nicholas Pankey belt out the title track's chorus "Maybe I'm doing alright/ It's so hard to tell what's true sometimes/ Maybe I'm doing alright/ Out here searching for signs of life.” Guffey wrote the refrain as a reminder to stay curious, engaged and connected with the world, especially in these difficult, uncertain times. Signs Of Life is an album all about time and perspective, of endings and beginnings.
Written in the two years between Guffey leaving Nashville and embracing a new life in Pittsburgh PA with his wife Georgia (a fellow songwriter and music educator), the album is many things at once: a celebration of curiosity and discovery, a reflection of what has come and gone, a portrait of the tumultuous nature of American life in these unprecedented times, and an existential examination of what it means to navigate through all of this complexity. Like most of My Politic’s discography, Signs of Life explores the realm where the deeply personal and the universal overlap.
The album features the rich vocal harmonies between Guffey and Pankey that fans across the country have come to expect and crave. The duo’s unique sensibilities are amplified by an incredible team of friends & musicians. Fans of Missouri Folklore will enjoy hearing the returning sounds of John Mailander’s (Bruce Hornsby, Billy Strings) ornamental fiddle and mandolin, Steve Peavy’s (Dwight Yoakam) weaving dobro and pedal steell, and engineer Josh Washam’s tasteful bass, drums, piano, & synth. Recorded in November of 2024, this musical ensemble contributed to My Politic’s most sonically rich album to date.
A range of roots genres, including finger-picked folk, country, rock, blues, celtic, and bluegrass provide a truly American musical backdrop to explore political and social narratives in the current American landscape.
Guffey on writing Signs of Life:
"These songs were written during a huge shift in my life. Me and my wife Georgia left Nashville after almost ten years and ended up in Pittsburgh PA, where we knew less than a handful of people and had only visited a couple times. It turned out to be the best gamble we could've made. The neighborhood, the city and its people really shaped this album. A central theme running through the album is the exploration & discovery of a brand new place surrounded by new people. Another major theme is the concept & philosophy of "time". I heard somewhere that 'time' is the most used word in the English language but it's still very much a mystery to us. I thought that was a really interesting idea and as I was writing this album, I kept thinking about time. I wanted to explore it from many different perspectives:
There are instances when we feel "time" differently, and then there is the significance of the time we are in historically. There is the concept of time measured by the way it feels to get older. There are repeating cycles, endings and beginnings, and the inevitability of change. All of these ideas were heavy on my mind while writing this new batch of songs. I also spend a lot more time on foot or on my bike than I did in Nashville, which has had a positive effect on my creative process.
This was the first time in our career that Nick (who is still living in Nashville) and I had so much distance between us during the writing process, so we sent a lot of demo recordings back and forth."
Forever the "pessimistic optimist," Guffey paints rich pictures of everyday life, while Pankey's beautifully blended harmonies and the duo's deceptively complex guitar styles frame the existential narratives. It's an album that begs to be heard multiple times, revealing layers of complexity with each listen.
On the haunting folk song "No Other Way", Guffey sings: "time’s in no hurry, time ain't no thief/ it gives itself away like a dog in heat/ like two romantic poets on a dimly lit street/ it flows on and on like a river.” This stands in stylistic and emotional contrast to the fast-paced opening track “Two in the Morning”, where the duo wails "the world's got me pacing and anxious again/ doubts built a permanent place in my head/ I don't feel time the way I used to feel it/ it used to be on my side now it just wants me dead.”
In the political song "Will We Ever Make It Out Of Heaven Alive", the characters contemplate the America that's been marketed to them and the ways the fantasy of America is used as a shield to uphold the more grim aspects of life. The song challenges the listener to consider if there's any chance of correcting the discrepancies.
"From The Early Days" speaks to the future on the deteriorating state of climate change.
"The Lonely 21st Century" takes aim at toxic online culture and the ultra capitalist nightmare of us "turning into commercials in disguise", while the much gentler "Living Lean" highlights the beauty of feeling like you "belong"' where you live.
The road song "A Funny Place To Find Yourself" is about feeling fulfilled by a life on the road and connecting with folks from all walks of life on the unique house concert circuit that the duo has been touring for over a decade.
The Celtic influenced "Drifting Around The Ocean" and the folky "I Took All The Pictures Down" touch on monumental shifts in one's life and how those shifts affect identity.
In "Who Could Ask For More" we hear a love song wrapped around a dialogue between two characters, about their values and what they want out of life.
The country blues tinged "Still Growing Today" explores Guffey's childhood in the Ozarks and the curiosity that ultimately led to a life far from home.
The final track, "I'd Rather Have Some" which shares a similar Celting influence as “Drifting Around the Ocean” and explores the inevitably of change, and how nothing lasts but that at the end of the day it's better to have had some time than none at all.
Signs of Life is an album with a big heart and sees the duo at the peak of their ability to render everyday life into interesting, relatable and unforgettable songs. It's an album full of contradictions, one that understands that hope and hopelessness, pain and joy, fear and courage, simplicity and complexity are what make this life meaningful. The album is out in full on May 23rd 2025.